One cannot begin to know our story without first understanding what is the heart and soul behind Sitto’s Hummus. The word ‘Sitto’ is one of the Lebanese translations for ‘grandma’. My Sitto’s name is Norma George and she is this company’s inspiration. Anybody who has grown up in a Lebanese family will probably tell you that they were raised by people with big hearts who held an overwhelming conviction that there are no problems in this world that cannot be fixed with good meal. While many may find this statement to be reductive to the many problems that people around the world face today, my response to this would be: you’ve never tasted my Sitto’s kibbeh.

Some of my favorite memories with Sitto include grabbing bags, picking her up, and heading to the best spots in town to pick grape leaves. It was never just the act of picking parsley, grape leaves, or mint with Sitto that I enjoyed, but it was the conversation and stories that accompanied these simple tasks that made them so memorable and precious to me. I had the opportunity to learn about relatives that I never met, different trips that she took with my Jiddo, and funny stories about my dad and his relatives when they were young; all the while sitting at her kitchen counter watching her douse the tabbouleh in lemon juice. These are cherished moments that will always stay close to my heart.

Family and community are two of the core values that live at the heart of Sitto’s Hummus. I believe that now more than ever it is important for society to recognize the strengths that can come from the bonds that we create with those around us. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to grow up around such a vivacious family that showed one another endless amounts of love and support. I now live in a community that exemplifies similar values to those that I was raised on, and I am looking for ways to give back to the city that in such a short time has already given me so much. Asheville is a small city nestled in one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the country that has gained a reputation for being a place where people come to value authenticity and creativity.

As hummus has grown in popularity in American culture it has begun to take on many forms and flavors that are unrecognizable to the creamy chickpea spread that I was raised on. The main goal of Sitto’s Hummus is, and will always be, to share some of the authentic flavors that represent Middle Eastern food culture with communities around the world.