It sounds like a tale from "Scheherazade": Five beautiful sisters set out on a culinary quest to save the reputation of one of their ancestral cuisine's most famous dishes.
They're aided in their journey by their kitchen wizard of a mother and a family friend who acts as "fairy godmother" for their fledgling venture. The sisters travel far and wide, to farmers markets and grocery store demos, to spread the appetizing word: You've been settling for subpar hummus until now, and they're going to do something about it.
Hummus, which used to be viewed as an exotic Middle East specialty, has now become such an appetizer standard that it could well be considered the 21st-century equivalent of French onion dip. According to the women behind the Sisters' Mezze brand, we've been eating a pasty, oily imitation of the super-delicious real thing.
These five sisters have set out to up the hummus game and turn it from just a dip into the "secret ingredient" it was meant to be.
The story of Sisters' Mezze begins in the kitchen of Palwasha "Paula" Gharwal, an Afghan-American with more than 30 years' experience as a chef. One evening, she and her husband invited friends John and Becky Fredericksen to dinner. One taste of Gharwal's hummus, and Fredericksen was inspired.
In the summer of 2015, Fredericksen began selling it at the Eagan farmers market. The friends chose a company name that references the Gharwal family's five daughters: Myena, Zahra, Wagma, Heela and Madeena. The word "mezze" (meh-ZEH) is used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean to describe a selection of small dishes served at the beginning of meals.
Gharwal and Fredericksen are the founders and co-owners of the St. Paul-based company, and the five sisters are also co-owners. Middle sister Wagma Gharwal has taken on the job of president.
While Wagma Gharwal notes that hummus has gone the way of once exotic foods such as salsa to become an everyday staple, she says it's still perceived as "different" by less adventurous eaters.
