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.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
2017%20RESULTS%3A%20FRENCH%20VOTERS%20IN%20UK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2051.1%25%3Cbr%3EFrancois%20Fillon%3A%2024.2%25%3Cbr%3EJean-Luc%20Melenchon%3A%2011.8%25%3Cbr%3EBenoit%20Hamon%3A%207.0%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%202.9%25%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESecond%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2095.1%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%204.9%25%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
