CortasCombo of Fava Beans & Appetizers (6 Cans), Lebanese, Egyptian recipe, Fava Beans with Cumin, Fava Beans & Chickpes, Baba Ghanoush, Hummus Tahina)

Since this is a Cortas combo pack of six different products, all imported from Lebanon, I will update this review as I use the individual cans. The combo arrived on time, well packed and as described in the Amazon site. Commerce International Inc., the Seller, continues to excel in this area.Now to the indivudual cans:#1- Fava Beans; Egyptian Recipe:This is exactly the Foul Medames that I use to eat quite often when I lived in Cairo. This is a very good product. The beans themselves are big and well cooked. The broth is well seasoned due the addition of Cumin and Chili. The additional ingredients of Tomato Paste, Garlic, Citric Acid and sunflower oil round up the flavor. I did not have to add anything to improve or adjust the taste; just my own custom of adding a bit of Olive Oil. Once Commerce International offers this recipe as a stand alone product, I will buy it without hesitation. As far as I am concerned this is a best-in-class product.2- Fava Beans and Chickpeas:There are very few ingredients in this can: Fava, water, chickpeas, salt and citric acid. I added a bit of oil and lemon juice. The quality of the beans is outstanding and they are cooked to perfection. I honestly, did not think the Chickpeas added much value to the mix; on the other hand my wife thought it enhanced the overall taste and was more filling. So it is really a matter of personal preference and taste. Another excellent product from Cortas that I would recommend without hesitatiion.3- Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanoush):I am familiar with the Baba although I do no not remember where and when I had it last. But I am a fan of Eggplant. This "Made in Lebanon" product has in fact very few ingredients: Grilled eggplant, Tahina, salt and citric acid. With a very low calorie content, it has a reasonable 80 gm of salt and 2 gm of carbs. The serving suggestion on the can suggest adding Lemon juice and salt to taste, olive oil and Pomegranate seed to garnish. I added some Parsley and Zaatar. One could eat the dip right out the can with Pita bread. I could the taste the Grilled eggplant, even a small bit here and there, the Tahina does not overwhelm the Baba. It is an excellent, delicious and healthy dip, surprisingly filling and ready to serve. With the expected Cortas quality, I would recommend this dip for any occasion.4-Hummus Tahina - Chickpea Dip:Don't let the name of this can confuse you, this is just a very good Hummus with very few ingredients: Water, Chickpeas, Tahina (Sesame paste), citric acid and salt. Low on sodium, fat and carb., this Hummus is ready to eat right out of the can. You can add lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. I did not think it needed it; but I garnished the bowl with olive oil, parsley, cumin and paprica (red). Delicious as a ready to use dip or to a make pita bread or a bagel sandwiche with lettuce and tomato and whatever else you like as you would order it from any deli.5- Fava Beans; Cumin Recipe:Another excellent Fava Bean recipe with a hint of Cumin cooked to perfection.6- fava Beans Lebanse RecipeA slightly different Fava recipe with additional ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, salt, sugar, citric acid and lemon flavor. The big beans are very well cooked, have a very appetizing taste and good nutritional content. I added some olive oil, a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of Zaatar. Excellent stand alone product offered by Cortas.Summary:This an excellent combo from Cortas. A practical and economical way to introduce and try six different recipes from the Middle East. I recommend the combo or each stand alone product. I find Cortas to be an excellent and consistent producer of Middle Eastern products. The Seller, Commerce Int'l Inc., is an excellent, reliable and responsive Seller.Review completed on 5/22/2019.

We wanted some Middle-Eastern-themed food, and this order filled the bill just fine !!

Of the 6 cans I ordered, 4 had their entire side smashed in. One was filthy and the top was rusted. One was not smashed or rusted, but I threw it out on the general principle that, given the condition of the shipment, God only knows what might be wrong with it that was not visible. Because one of the cans was filthy and rusted, I am going to have to assume that Cortas packed the cans into the box in the condition that I found them, and that this was not a "damaged in shipment" problem. Cortas used to be a reliable company. Given all the problems in Lebanon, I am not surprised that it is not reliable at all now. Do not buy this product, and it is probably unwise to purchase any Cortas product.

So the variety pack is OK. The Egyptian recipe has far too much cumin, the lebanese recipe is over oiled, the baba ganoush was overall bland, and the tahina was meh. There are other brands that don't have tons of salt which taste much better.

Nice collection! Good taste and healthy beans. It is clever to have an appetizer handy for rainy days. I add the beans in the cooking for extra protein. It gives a good flavor.

I was missing the tastes of home as they say n these just really were great flavor for my recipe

These are great products for people who like to prepare foods from the Middle-East.

All the cans are bent....so I'll have to use them promptly