Hummus: We Taste Tested Six Brands From The Supermarket

Because you deserve only the best.
All of the hummus.
All of the hummus.
Juliette Steen / HuffPost Australia

Hummus, houmous, hommus or houmos; however you want to spell it, it's one bloody delicious chickpea delight.

Creamy but healthy, this dip is a bit of a snack-staple in the HuffPost Australia office, with very different opinions on which brand is best.

In order to get to the bottom of this conundrum, three fearless hummus lovers put their hands up to taste test six supermarket brands, obviously without knowing what they were.

The taste test: What you need to know

The six brands of hummus involved were (in no particular order):

Four hummuses were purchased from Woolworths and two from a local IGA.

Each hummus was consumed with a plain water cracker.

Each hummus was meant to be an 'original' flavour with no added ingredients. However after the taste test it was realised the SSS Foods brand was flavoured with coriander, cumin and mild chilli. For this error we unreservedly apologise.

Juliette Steen / HuffPost Australia

1. Obela smooth classic hommus

Judge 3: So this is our first one. How we do think this one looks?

Judge 2: It looks nice and creamy. It smells very fresh.

Judge 3: It looks really smooth. It has an okay colour. ButI can't get him. See? It was hard to pick up. It was hard to get on my cracker. It smells good. I think I know what this one is.

J2: I really enjoyed that. Creamy and fresh. Not too oily but not that gritty texture. Very mild flavour in a good way.

J1: Not too garlicky.

You can really could eat a lot of this one I reckon. You could sit there and scoop and scoop and scoop.

J2: No, not too garlicky. You can really could eat a lot of this one I reckon. You could sit there and scoop and scoop and scoop.

J1: I enjoy it. I want to eat more.

J3: Can I double dip?

J2: I wouldn't be afraid to have a bit of a flavoured cracker with that one. Maybe a rice cracker, sour cream and chive. You know whereas some of them are so overpowering you can't have a flavoured cracker.

J1: This is your everyman's hummus.

J3: It's a crowdpleaser.

J2: But you can tell it's top quality.

J3: I'm double dipping. I'm triple dipping.

J2: Gross.

Verdict: A smooth, moreish hummus with good flavour and texture.

2. Pilpel hummous

J1: This one looks a bit sloppier. It looks like it has more oil.

J3: It looks a bit grey. It looks like Babaganouj.

J2: It's definitely runnier. But I'm not opposed to that. Because sometimes it's easier to scoop.

J3: Look! You can't scoop it! It took me two tries!

J2: Oh. It tastes like bubblegum.

J1: It tastes like nothing.

J3: I'm not a fan of the smell. It smells a bit smoky.

J2: Yeah, it's a bit smoky.

I don't hate it, but it has this bizarre first taste that tastes like bubblegum.

J1: Oh I hate it.

J3: Oh no, I hate it.

J2: Oh wow, you guys are harsh. I don't hate it, but it has this bizarre first taste that tastes like bubblegum.

J3: I don't taste bubblegum.

J1: I'm going in for a second one just for clarification. When I put it right under my nose I can't smell anything.

J3: I think they added a spice which doesn't quite fit in.

J2: If it was the only hummus I was eating I wouldn't be anti. But it's a bit runny and a little bit unusual.

J3: I think they may have used a weird tahini.

J1 & J2: Yesssssss.

J3: They've used dodgy tahini.

Verdict: Thought by our judges to be a bit heavy on the sesame/tahini taste.

3. SSS Foods hommos (coriander, cumin, mild chilli)

J2: This also looks a bit runny.

J1: It could be a bit gritty.

J2: Oooh it's very gritty.

J3: If I wanted gritty, I would eat sand.

J2: It smells quite nice. (crunching noise) I like this one! It's very garlicky.

J3: This one smells like lemon.

J2: Yeah. It's got something else in it.

J3: Oh it's too gritty. I don't like it. The flavour's there but the texture is off.

This one needs a plain cracker because it sings. It's very zesty.

J1: But you get a spice hit at the end.

J2: I like this one! It's got flavour. It's zesty. But it definitely has something else in it.

J3: They should have blended it for another minute and a half.

J2: This one needs a plain cracker because it sings. It's very zesty.

J1: Is it your favourite?

J2: Texture-wise, number one is my favourite so far but flavour-wise, definitely number three. I mean I don't think it's a traditional hummus which is probably a bit naughty but it's good.

Verdict: Just as suspected during tasting, this was actually a variant on the traditional hummus which can account for its spiciness and zestiness. Still delicious though.

Chris' Dips hommus

J2: This looks watery.

J1: Not as watery as number two.

J2: Well number two to me looked creamy but runny, whereas this looks watery.

J3: It looks like it's sliding all over the place. But it gets on the cracker well.

J2: It's quite thick actually. And lumpy?

Everyone: Mmmmm.

J3: It's not quite smooth enough. It's floury.

J2: I don't like it. I mean I don't hate it.

It's not offensive at all. But it's not wowing me.

J1: I feel like this is one of the cheaper ones.

J3: This is an entry level hummus.

J2: Having said that, it's got a bit of freshness to it.

J3: It's not offensive at all. But it's not wowing me.

J1: I reckon it's one of the ones that always has 'three for $6 at woollies' and if you wanted to grab a beetroot and a tzatziki and a hummus, you'd just grab it and it would be very inoffensive and fine.

J2: Can I throw a spanner in the works though? Because it's like that, it's almost a bit home made. Because it's not as smooth and commercial. In my opinion. It's got a nice flavour. Medium flavour. It's an intriguing one.

J3: I don't know how I feel about this one.

J1: I feel like it's inoffensive.

J3: I don't like it.

Verdict: This hummus is reliable and inoffensive and has a home-made feel.

5. Copperpot hommus

J2: This looks creamy.

J1: It looks like a perfect dollop. It looks like what they do on MasterChef...

J3: It's a quenelle!

J2: It's sooo thick.

J3: The colour is good.

For me it's almost too mild.

J2: It's very mild in flavour. It's very thick. This is a stock-standard hummus to me. It's good quality, you can tell it's premium, I think because of the texture. But it's a very basic level. It's your base. It's a basic ingredient mix.

J1: For me it's almost too mild.

J2: It's very mild. I really enjoy it but it's not memorable.

J1: Maybe if you had it on a wrap or something, with other things.

J2: Yes! Or with tomatoes on a Cruskit. Yum.

J1: But remember when we said the first one you could sit down an eat a whole tub of it on its own? Maybe not.

Verdict: This was mild and surprisingly thick in texture. It could be particularly enjoyed on a sandwich or combined with other flavours.

6. Willow Farm hommus

J1: Our last hummus! It's come around so quick.

J3: This is very watery.

J2:Very watery.

J3: It's very separated.

J2: Oh. It's very kind of, not blended.

J3: The colour is good but the texture seems weird.

J2: No thanks. This is is my least favourite.

J1: And it smells like cardboard.

J2: Again, quite boring.

This is like for someone who is afraid of hummus.

J1: The other one was boring but it had a good texture.

J2: Again, inoffensive but poorer quality texture and quite bland. They could have put one more clove of garlic or something.

J3: This is like for someone who is afraid of hummus.

J2: It's like the Fisher Paykel of hummus. My first hummus. That's what it is.

Verdict: Ideal for those new to hummus or those who don't appreciate an overly strong hummus flavour.

Final verdict

J2: I think number four was my favourite.

J3: I think number one was my favourite.

J2: Wow, you peaked early.

(J3 re-tastes hummus number one.)

J3: It's just so creamy. It's smooth like Barry White's voice.

J1: Yeah. So we are re-tasting number one. It's definitely my favourite too.

J2: I definitely pick number three.

J1: Three or four?

J2: Four four four!!! Sorry. He's yummy and zesty. Three and four are my top two.

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