Ode to hummus hits YouTube
Arab-American comedian Remy Munasifi sings fondly about the beloved Middle Eastern dish
After centuries of confinement to the Near East, hummus — that pasty, tasty dip — is finally spreading across the world, sloppily emerging as an essential subsidiary for the meals of high-class connoisseurs and average-Joe foodies alike.
And now, with new hummus joints popping up across the US like chickpeas in a boiling pot, the beige-brown spread has got its own anthem.
Performed by Remy Munasifi, an Arab-American comedian, the song All About That Paste is both a masterful ode to the superiority of hummus, and an unrestrained smear campaign against the various perversions masquerading as the beloved dish.
Set to the tune of Meghan Trainor’s runaway smash hit All About That Bass, Munasifi professes his adoration of the dish, while at the same time lamenting the proliferation of products such as “black bean avocado white people hummus,” which, of course, doesn’t taste nearly as good as the original.
In the two weeks since the song was uploaded to YouTube, All About That Paste has garnered over 400,000 views, prompting many viewers, no doubt, to experience immense cravings for the puree.
Like Adam Sandler’s character in Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Munasifi can be seen in the clip adding hummus as a condiment to the least expected dishes — pumpkin pie and Lucky Charms breakfast cereal.
Munasifi’s singing is also accompanied by his mother’s display of traditional belly dancing moves, providing the rendition with a much welcome complimentary supplement — like warm pita alongside a bowl of fresh, homemade hummus.