Hummus

Test date: January 2012 (blind taste test)

Tester: Michele

All products for this test purchased at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Fred Meyer.

MICHELE'S OPINION: This was an interesting test to perform, because they all tasted just different enough to make me want to be sure to buy the best one in the future and avoid some others.  Lilly's was pretty gross, Trader Joe' Hummus Dip had too much raw garlic flavor for me, and Haig's tasted like plastic.  You think when you purchase any hummus you're going to get something akin to what you'd order in a mediterranean restaurant (at least that's what I thought), but you should think again.  Sabra killed the competition with just the right amount of garlic and creaminess.  That's my pick, but there were some other contenders as well.  Read on for more details on price, nutrition, and taste:

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 7-8OZ OF HUMMUS (store first, then brand):
$4.69 Whole Foods Haig's
$3.49 Fred Meyer Sabra
$2.50 Fred Meyer Athenos
$2.33 Fred Meyer Tribe Hummus
$2.29 Whole Foods Original
$2.09 Trader Joe's Smooth & Creamy Classic Hummus
$1.99 Trader Joe's Hummus Dip
$1.75 Whole Foods Emerald Valley
$1.74 Whole Foods Lilly's
$1.59 Private Selection

1. Trader Joe's Hummus Dip: This product has a raw garlic taste to it and a pretty light consistency.  Unfortunately, I found that it left a raw garlic flavor in my mouth.

2. Trader Joe' Smooth & Creamy Classic Hummus: This larger version of Trader Joe's product above has a light whipped consistency and a very light color comparatively.  It has an odd taste though, like there's a little bit of mustard in it.

3. Haig's Hummus Garbanzo Bean Meze: This product has a light color to it and an almost runny consistency.  It tastes plastic-y and acidic.

4. Emerald Valley Organic Traditional Hummus: This product has a coarse grainy consistency.  It has rich chickpea flavor and I couldn't taste a lot of other ingredients (like garlic, for example).  This product is the darkest in color of all of the options.

5. Whole Foods Original Hummus: This product has a dense consistency, nutty flavor, without much garlic taste to it.

6. Lilly's Hummus: This option tastes like plastic and has a strange applesauce-like consistency (but not that runny).  It is an all around wierd product. I wouldn't purchase it again.

7.  Athenos Original Hummus: This product has a light fluffy consistency, but it tasted like it had gone bad! It tasted fermented a bit.  I didn't see any mold or other discoloration though, and the container sell by date is May 2012, four months from now!

8. Private Selection Traditional Hummus: This option has a moist, almost runny consistency and at the same time a grainy texture (similar to brown sugar instead of chunks of chickpeas).  I detected nutty and garlic flavors, but this product was relatively bland.

9. Sabra Classic Hummus: This product has a medium dense and creamy consistency. It is very flavorful and garlicy.

10. Tribe Hummus Party Tray: This product is very garlicy and even has a bit of a sticky consistency compared to the other options.





NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving size: 1oz/28-30grams/2 Tablespoons):

Product	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Notes
Trader Joe's Hummus Dip	80	4.5	135	7	High carb count!
Trader Joe's Smooth & Creamy	80	5	140	6
Haig's	80	6	80	4	Least Salty!
Emerald Valley	60	4	110	5
Whole Foods	80	6	140	4
Lilly's	70	3.5	105	7	High carb count!
Athenos	50	3	160	5	Most Salty - Least Fat - Lowest Calories!
Private Selection	80	7	150	4	Salty!
Sabra	70	6	120	4
Tribe	60	5	120	4

TASTE WINNER: Sabra!