Jam Jar, 2280 Commercial Drive, was brought to life with the desire to share a social concept behind the doors of traditional Lebanese culture—an aspect you would only truly experience inside someone’s home, not by eating out at a restaurant. When seasonal Lebanese produce is plentiful and affordable, it is often collected for canning. These jars are then distributed among the community, and a natural act is to bring a jar of whatever you chose over to the home of a neighbour, a friend, or a family member.
Inviting this concept into its doors on Commercial, Jam Jar’s jar program is similar to the concept of growler fills at a brewery: it enables people to take out and refill a variety of different hummus creations and dips. Meanwhile, the menu and layout of the sit-down restaurant are structured in such a way, through share plates and communal tables, to encourage connection.
In a small but inviting space, Jam Jar facilitates cross-cultural connections that highlight each particpant’s strengths. Quality of ingredients is paramount, allowing the ethnic tastes to invite us in, let us stay a while.
Said to be drawn to a mutual company ethos, owner Fadi Eid brought on 33 Acres of Ocean as a fit for the menu to pair well with many different dishes, including Makanik; lamb sausages and Shish Tawouk; chicken skewers; Mujadra lentil stew; Batata Harra and roasted potatoes.
Jam Jar focuses on the big without losing sight of the start. It pairs timeless with contemporary. Hummus is classic, traditional, and simple, but to be done right, it must have the fundamental quality, the freshest ingredients. Then you can adapt for flavour and texture. And then we thought: why not b33r hummus? Try it for yourself. 3ND
Ingredients
1 1/2 garlic clove, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp salt, Beer cubes 250ml, 500 gr chickpeas, 50ml tahini
Method
1. Start by boiling/cooking your own chickpeas with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Run under cold water to cool before using to make hummus. Canned chickpeas can also be used, but by boiling your own with baking soda, you are ridding them of the enzymes that often create gas in the stomach.
2. Make 33 Acres of Ocean ice cubes: fill your ice cube tray with 250ml/1 cup of Ocean. Freeze.
3. In a food processor, combine Ocean ice cubes, chickpeas, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Blend slightly, until texture is a bit chunky—don’t smooth until tahini is added.
4. Add tahini and mix to smooth.
5. Add olive oil while food processor is going. This will further smooth the hummus.
6. Serve with pita bread, taco chips, or in this case, a nice big pretzel aside a growler of Ocean for a great appetizer.
7. Serve within three days.
