Hummus is a polarizing food, many people don’t like the mixture of chickpeas, sesame, and spices into a paste. Which I understand, but as a Jew I LOVE hummus. During my two and a half month stay in Israel, I ate hummus a few times a week, and the only bad ones were in the cheder ochel (cafeteria). When I came back to America I was slapped in the face with bad Mediterranean restaurants and even worse store-bought products. I have been home for a few months now, and have found some favorites and least favorites. All of these ratings will be based on the plain hummus of the brand that can be found in local stores, and I will mention if I enjoy other flavors.
Sabra
Texture 1.5/5
Flavor 1.5/5
Total 1.5/5
Sabra managed to be worse than the cheder ochel, it’s way too smooth (all of them not just plain) and has too much tachina, super bitter and sour. If this is the only hummus you’ve tried, try something else because this is not an accurate representation of hummus.
Haig’s
Texture 2/5
Flavor 2.5/5
Total 2.25/5
This was the first hummus I tried back in America and I was severely disappointed. The taste and texture were not good, even with the addition of tachina. I haven’t tried other flavors but the plain one was mediocre and a bit sour. It has noticeable chunks of garbanzo beans and is grainy. I would say this was like the cheder ochel, plus seasoning and a bit more sour.
Ithaca
Texture 3/5
Flavor 2.5/5
Total 2.75
The texture was nice, comparable to Hafla (one of my favorites), but it was too sour making it very unappealing. The tachina ratio is good, and it has pretty simple ingredients. This was the first hummus definitively better than the cheder ochel, it was still too sour and bitter but finally getting somewhere.
Trader Joe’s (Organic)
Texture 3.5/5
Flavor 4/5
Total 3.75/5
The highly requested, Trader Joe’s hummus, has a good texture, and tachina ratio. The flavor, however, was a little bit too sour. I will eat the rest of the container, with the addition of some spices, but it is not the best hummus. I went in with mid-expectations and was somewhat impressed.
Brother’s
Texture 4
Flavor 4/5
Total 4/5
This is a chunkier hummus that is on the thinner side. While the ratio is good, sometimes I top it with tachina for the flavor, and I wish it was a bit thicker so it would hold on different foods better. One small pet peeve about it is that the container is annoying to open and gets greasy, might just be a me problem, but I thought I’d mention it. Overall it’s one of the best/most traditional ones I’ve found and it’s available at every Mediterranean market I’ve been to. My favorites are the garlic and habanero flavors.
Hafla
Texture 4/5
Flavor 4.5/5
Total 4.25/5
Hafla has a similar texture and feel to Sabras and Ithaca but it’s just so much better. I can see this appealing to those who hummus is not a part of their culture. The tachina to garbanzo ratio is great, and it doesn’t have the bitter taste that Sabra has. The seasoning is great but to make it just a little bit better I add za’atar on top. This is the type of hummus I would expect to see in a hummus bowl. My favorite flavor is Hot and Spicy, but there are many flavors I have yet to try.
In general, nothing is perfect, and I’ve had perfect hummus. All of the hummus in Israel outside of the cheder ochel was better than most of the hummus I’ve bought in the States. It makes me very sad, and I might start making my own but that is work that I don’t have time for. That being said, the options at the Mediterranean markets and probably other commercial grocery stores I don’t go to are pretty good and mostly satisfactory. For a hummus bowl with toppings and whatnot just make it yourself, but for a snack Brother’s and Havla are good options depending on what texture you’re looking for.