Earlier this year, Sabra, one of the first and biggest hummus brands in the US, posted a video on Facebook about its “everything-bagel-seasoned hummus”.
The comments rolled in, with followers noting how they enjoy their “American hummus” with everything from French breads to Hawaiian dinner rolls.
Hummus, in America, is arguably different from what Middle Easterners are used to eating and enjoying. For one thing, many varieties of this dish, traditionally made of chickpea, are sweet. Walk into any big-box grocery store and you’ll be treated to choco-mint hummus, cake batter hummus, dark chocolate hummus, sea salt-caramel hummus — and even strawberry and pina colada hummus.
The authenticity of “dessert hummus” aside, Americans “spent close to $800 million on hummus from retail stores in 2018 alone”, Tim McGreevy, chief executive of the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, told NPR.
However, in February, grocery delivery and pick-up service Instacart released a survey before the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of America's National Football League where it’s tradition to enjoy football and 70-plus commercials over snacks with friends. Think chicken wings, pizza, chilli, tortilla chips, potato chips, pretzels and rinds. Dips are par for the course, too.
Whichever dish makes it to the Super Bowl snack table is largely considered America’s favourite nibble of the moment. This year, the snack Americans could not resist, according to the survey, was tortilla chips with salsa, queso or guacamole.
Hummus, however, was placed on top of the list of worst snacks. This can be attributed to a number of reasons.
New is not always nice
Hummus has been around for only 36 years in the US, as Sabra launched it in 1986. This is one reason why, according to a report published by the Institute of Food Technologists, a quarter of the US population has no idea what hummus is.
To change this, Sabra used food lorries to distribute tiny packs of hummus to Americans in different cities. The company made a major push to take hummus mainstream in 2020, when it spent $5.6m to air its first Super Bowl commercial, which featured 19 celebrities.
However, 2020 was the first and only time Sabra aired a hummus commercial during the Super Bowl. In 2021 and 2022, there were none — even though the television major event attracted 96.4 million and 101 million viewers respectively.
“Hummus was not widely known in the US years ago, and so many people simply don’t know what it is,” commented Maura Rudd, a food fan, on Quora. “The name [hummus] kind of makes you think of hummus, which is a type of garden soil [formed due to decomposition of plant and animal matter].”
Ronen Zohar, former chief executive of Sabra, even admitted “it’s tough to pronounce” for many.
But its name and pronunciation are not the only obstacles for hummus in America. It’s also the taste.
Taste test
Sadia Khan, a marketing manager at Speciality Care Clinics in Dallas who has lived extensively in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, says she has not found a single place in the US where hummus tastes the same as in the UAE. Not even in Middle Eastern restaurants.
“The hummus here [in the US] is dry and thick. And there [in the UAE], it is creamy and rich,” she says.
Mitra Sharif, owner of Oxus 7, a Turkish restaurant in Ashburn, Virginia (the richest county of the US in terms of median household income), explains the reason behind this. “Most places, including brands and restaurants, use canned chickpeas, which affects the taste of hummus.”
To make the product more palpable to the American palate, hummus brands have introduced flavours such as black bean, dill pickle, buffalo, yellow lentil, pumpkin pie, white bean, edamame, chipotle, basil pesto and avocado, plus the aforementioned caramel, strawberry and chocolate dessert varieties.
Purists can argue not one of these is “real” hummus.
Flavours aside, brands are also experimenting with products created using hummus as an oft-contentious base.
Think hummus shake by Hummus & Pita Co. This is made out of chickpeas, tahini, frozen banana, dates and almond milk, and it is available in flavours such as chocolate, strawberry, pistachio and butter pecan.
It’s hard to tell what’s next for hummus in America, but one thing’s for certain: brands and enthusiasts seem determined to make Americans love hummus. Whether or not it will work, is up for debate.
Watch the video below to learn how to make hummus the traditional way.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPEC%20SHEET
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
