Toum is a creamy, thick sauce with a slightly unctuous texture, similar to mayonnaise, but made without eggs, making it ideal for vegans.
Although it uses only a few ingredients, toum has quite a few variations, with recipes passed down through generations within a family. There is also a popular variation in Lebanon where mint is added to give the sauce a fresher flavour.
Origin of the word 'toum'
For those wondering where the word 'toum' comes from, the answer is simple: it is derived from the Arabic word tūm , which means 'garlic'. In some Lebanese families, the sauce is called zeit wa toum ('oil and garlic').
Toum is perfect for many dishes
This garlic sauce is the perfect accompaniment to many dishes, but especially grilled chicken such as shawarma or kebab. The generous use of fresh garlic creates a spicy taste sensation. Even on an otherwise plain cracker, toum works wonders.
We have done research and it turns out that a lighter, more delicate extra virgin olive oil makes the toum slightly less bitter in taste. This also makes the garlic sauce suitable for milder dishes, such as fish dishes or vegetarian dishes.
Ingredients:
[this time we do it in proportions, so that you can calculate the amount of toum to make yourself]
- Two parts garlic cloves (peeled)
- One part freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Four parts extra virgin olive oil
- Two teaspoons of salt (or less if desired)
Preparation:
- Grind the garlic with the salt in a food processor until smooth.
- Then add the olive oil - one dash at a time - until the mixture is emulsified.
- Finally, mix the lemon juice through the mixture.
Note:
Emulsification is the process by which two difficult to mix liquids, such as water and fat, are mixed (sometimes temporarily).
