Best Commercial Hummus

[budcar]

I think Hannah's is tops, primarily because it's still has a chunky consistency. Cedars now the smooth, almost puree like version which just doesn't feel like I'm eating real hummus.

[joshlane4]

I'm a big Sabra fan...I love the roasted garlic!

[TampaAurora]

I agree. It's the best I have found here in Florida.

[zcmosz]

I love cedars I think it tastes best! ive tied sabra but its texure feels like clay. Cedars smooth and creamy line rocks!

[TSQ75]

AH! its this brand, Ziyad...

http://www.ziyad.com/pages/index.asp

I was dubious when i saw it came in a CAN...but amazing taste, texture and freshness

[jeni1002]

I usually get Trader Joe's roasted red pepper, and in the past, I've also fixated on Hot Mama's varieties (http://www.hotmamasfoods.com/

)

While in London, I did get the regular hummus from Marks & Spencer and I must admit, I really enjoyed it: it had a much creamier texture than any of the above and it was a lot saltier.

I am by no stretch of the imagination a hummus connoisseur, but does anyone happen to know which brand may be similar to the M&S hummus? (I would rather not try them all to find out :)

[TSQ75]

there's a brand that's sold in a little Halal shop near me in Durham, NC and for the life of me i cant remember the name...it comes in a can, yellow label...i think it starts with a Z...i'll check a can when I get home. its got nothing more than chick peas, tahini, and lemon...smooth and tangy and amazing!!

also have a soft spot for TJs horseradish hummus...i've been trying to recreate it, but its so much easier to buy it...lol

[babaoriley7]

I have to put in a vote for Meza. I got it on a whim and it is delicious. pine nuts and paprika on top. Too expensive for me so I usually stick to TJ's.

Unfortunately I'm not sure which one to get now as the Midwest (where I am) supplier is different than the west coast provider (where I was from).

[madgreek]

I usually make my own, but for the sake of convenience, I like wild garden hummus. It's all natural, shelf stable, and I love the taste. Most of their varieties are made with canola oil, but that's ok with me, because canola has a very neutral flavor, and doesn't impart the taste of an olive oil that i'm not fond of (which is commonly the case with other brands). I like to match the "right" extra virgin olive oil with the "right" application (for me, at least). If I feel it's necessary, I add a bit of evoo to the dip.

[madgreek]

I actually just picked up a few (13.4 oz.) jars for $1.69. I'm not sure that I could make it much cheaper. Well, I'm sure I could, but the difference is pretty small. As I said, I do make my own, and I love it, but damn! At this price, I think I'll go buy more! I might not be eating homemade for a few months.

[crosby_p]

Trader Joe's Roasted red pepper hummus gets my vote!

[Amber in Norfolk]

Azar's! Made right here in VA.
http://www.azarfoods.com/

[monalisawoman]

Sabra Supremely Spicy is really good.
also Tribe's 40 Spice.

[madgreek]

I've been interested to try Tribe's 40 Spice. Does anyone know where I can find it in Northeast Ohio?

[hungry100]

It might just be local to Philadelphia, but if you can find it, Bobbi's hummus is AMAZING.

[FelafelBoy]

I have heard good things about Bobbi's. What ingredients are in it that make it taste better? I looked at the ingredients of the commercially sold Atheno's brand and was shocked to see that they added SUGAR! Why would you need to sweeten this food? I have never seen sugar added to this product. I find sugar to be addicting, and once a person gets accustomed to sugar in their hummus, I'd think they would always find a need for it. The only explanation I can find is that the sugar might serve as a balance for the saltiness.

I think Cedar's makes a roasted red pepper hummus that is quite good. I've seen some brands that don't use olive oil - the substitues I've seen have ranged from canola oil to soybean oil.

I find plain hummus to be very easy to make. The hardest part is cleaning out the blender, which I've made easier by filling the emptied container with hot water and turning it on - sort of like using a mini-dishwasher - this method beats soaking it and sponging out the crud.

The other hard part might be in cooking fresh chick peas. I did this once, and it took hours. I just use canned chick peas. When I get a pressure cooker, I will definitely use the fresh chick peas.

[jh253]

i love bobbi's!! all the flavors are terrific, but i just discovered an olive garlic that is out of this world!

[missfunkysoul]

Bobbi's is food of the gods. Truly and seriously. I think it's so good because it has lot of garlic, more lemon juice than most, and ZERO tahini. Definitely no sugar.

And they do a white bean dip that is even better than the hummus!

If I don't have a tub of this stuff in the house, I feel totally deprived...

[DiveFan]

If it doesn't have tahini, then it is definitely NOT hummus! Bobbi's sounds like something made by Greek-Americans.

I only buy pre-made hummus in an emergency situation, otherwise it's chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, touch of olive oil PERIOD. Super easy with any decent blender. Garlic, cumin, bell pepper, chile, etc. are always optional.

[mpetr]

As good as it is, Bobbi's is a really overpriced product. I found a copycat recipe that really does taste as good on Mother Jones. Let's face it...an ice cream cup sized container of hummus (and Bobbi's certainly is smaller than most) isn't worth the 5-7 dollars you dish out, depending on where you shop. I'm a major comfort food fan, and enjoy hanging out on my sofa with pita and hummus tub in hand...but the Bobbi's price stinks. I'd like to know that as the economy tumbles (hopefully only a temporary thing), that my comfort foods won't soon be the cause of my discomfort.

[ChowFun_derek]

"Tribes" is very good ...better than Sabra I believe....

[marmite]

Agreed, CFD. I've read a lot of negatives about Tribe on this site but I'm extremely fussy with hummus, and it's my favorite brand. Sabra is too smooth for me. It's almost like cake frosting.

[manraysky]

Tribe is my favorite, too.

Did anyone else notice that they changed the name from Tribe of Two Sheiks to just "Tribe"? Strange.

[ChowFun_derek]

Well it is Kosher...maybe they are intimating the "12 TRIBES"???
It opens their potential customer base.
But it does have the freshest most authentic flavor and texture of any I have tasted...I spent my Junior Year Abroad, in Israel, and had Humus prepared by Jewish, Moslem and Christian restaurants...Tribe is the closest to Home Made.

[poptart]

Agreed..I like Tribes best, too. It's got a nice texture and flavor. I find some of the others to be too "grainy", or salty or gummy.

[kimfair1]

I'm a fan of Tribes (though I think their changing of names may have more to do with an anti-Arab bias in the US vs a 12 tribes thing). Anyway, the 40 spice is my fave, my wife's is the cracked red pepper. I've made hummus at home before, and it is easy, but I could spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what 40 spices Tribe uses, never mind the proportions! I'll stick to buying that one, and making the plain at home!

[madgreek]

I specifically remember Rachel Ray recommending this hummus on her show years ago, and it sounded good. I have tried to find it, but can't. Although my local grocery stores carry Tribe, they never offer the 40 spice. Annoying.

[Miss Needle]

I prefer Sabras because it's smooth and creamy. They do make a version with whole chickpeas in it. But I haven't seen a chunky one.

[jinet12]

Best one hands down is Pita Pal's Organic Red Pepper Hummus...Wholefoods...Excellent.....

[salemjan]

I like Costco hummus....altho once again, we don't know where it comes from!

salemjan

[stellamystar]

I like the Costco Hummus as well. If you like the Cedar's brand of Hummus, you will like the Costco version. Plus, Costco is about $6 for a GIGANTIC tub. Perfect for parties!

[erns53]

I do love Sabra's- the one with lemon is great on chicken sandwiches, though it's a bit much by itself.

Personally, I like smooth hummus a bit better than the chunky kind, which just makes me think of my college co-op days. The Hummus Place in New York convinced me that smooth was the way to go... their hummus is so smooth, it's almost soup. And it's amazingly good- apparently (the story goes) the owner traveled the middle east for over a year just searching for the best hummus recipe and ingredients.

[piccola]

I prefer it smooth, too - unlike peanut butter - but the OP wanted chunky...

I haven't tried the lemon Sabra, but the regular is good enough to eat with a spoon.

[piccola]

New find: The "healthy" house brand at Sobey's, for those of you near one, is great - like a lower-fat Sabra's. I'm actually enjoying the lighter texture and flavour.

[PamelaD]

I like Cedar's (plain/original- not any of the dozens of other versions/flavors they make).

[MysticYoYo]

Hummus is one of those things that is so amazingly easy to make at home in the blender or food processor that I can recall the last time I purchased a commercial brand. Try making it and tweaking it until you find the flavors you love. It's all good.

[John Manzo]

Dittoing this. Hummus is dead easy. Buying store-bought hummus (unless its perfectly fresh from a middle-eastern resto or deli) makes as much sense as buying supermarket toast.

[laylag]

Hmmm, food processor, rinsing chick peas (canned I presume), chopping garlic, lemon, etc, processing, cleaning up afterwards. Maybe not tough but not as easy as opening container of very good store bought hummus.

Sorry Johyn but not the same as buying toast and with good prepared options available, for me homemade hummus is not worth even the relatively small amount of work if the difference between the two is not sufficiently significant.

[dubedo]

My problem with making hummus is that you have to buy tahini in such large containers and it always goes rancid before I make hummus again. So then I have to go buy more, and it's a whole wasteful cycle. So even though I almost always have chickpeas and garlic on hand, I rarely make my own hummus anymore.

[punkin712]

I buy tahini in 12 ounce jars and never had them go bad. Even though you only need a tablespoon at a time, you should be able to get through the jar in no time.

Once the jar is open, I store it in the refrigerator and when I want to use some, I let it come up to room temperature before scooping it out.

[uptown jimmy]

Agreed. Hummous is probably the single easiest dish I've ever made. It takes about 5 minutes, literally, from start to finish, and it's infinitely tastier than anything store-bought. Buying pre-made hummous is just so strange, so alien. I mean, you just throw five or so ingredients in a food processor and push the button. Done.

[piccola]

I love Sabra's - I'm sure they make a chunky version.

[laylag]

Ditto on Sabras - love it but have never seen a chunky version.

[enbell]

Here's a third vote, the rasted garlic has chunks of garlic if that counts :)

[laylag]

Love the pine nut version - those are like chunks too right? :)

[dubedo]

Sabra's is my favorite too - the olive, and the spicy - which has a little nest of VERY spicy peppers in the middle that you can mix in to your own tolerance level.

[perk]

Also Sabra's lemony version....so fresh tasting. Great flavor.

[crt]

Although I don't eat it regularly I have from time to time bought Trader Joe's hummus. Of course we'll never actually know who produces it, but I thought it was good. I think I also got some at Smart and Final, but I can't remember the brand although I remember that it was good also. As far as the 'best' question...I think it's all matter of individual tastes. So what one person thinks is 'best' another won't. Maybe topics such as these would be better posed as 'Which commercial hummus do you prefer'?

[nanette90278]

Trader Joe's is made by Two Chefs on a Roll. :-)

[crt]

Is maker/producer of their hummus listed on the packaged product. I know Trader Joe's has a penchant for not disclosing who manufactures many, and I thought all for that matter, of the products they sell with the Trader Joe's name on them. I read about that and the reasons for why they don't but I can't remember why. Course this could be a product without the Trader Joe name. As I said I don't purchase it regularly so I can't really remember whether or not it was labled under the 'Trader Joe's' name.

[LaLa Eat]

TJ's has several hummus options.
On the west coast TJs best hummus is the "Mediterranean Smooth and Creamy". Layer of oil (though canola) and pine nuts on top, it's pretty darn good!

[coney with everything]

I love Garden Fresh, but I believe the availability is pretty limited. Costco carries it in Michigan but not sure about other states (I know GF salsa is more widely available)

Sabra looks so beautiful in the container, but the taste is meh. Any grocery store in Metro Detroit has better hummus in the deli.

[MikeG]

Anything NOT made primarily with canola oil which, sadly, seems to have disappeared over the last few years. One, and as far as I can tell, only one of Sabra's "flavors" at least has some olive oil, but judging from taste and texture, not enough to notice. (I liked a lot of stuff better when soybean aka "vegetable" oil was still the "cheap oil of choice" in the food industry.) Considering how easy it is to make, and how much better that is even with canned chickpeas, I've pretty much given up on storebought hummous...

As for texture, I don't like big chunks of chickpeas in there either - I make it about the texture of store-ground peanut butter, with a bit of graininess, but not what I'd call "chunky.".