"Flavorthrillers"

Good morning, fellow Hummusapiens!

Because I am a glass half full kind of gal, 

the fact that this hummus did not quite match up to my expectations of it's origins isn't really a bad thing per se.

See, I've realized something and I'm fessing up to it: 

I'm completely and utterly spoiled in my taste, in a very "American-y" sort of way. 

I like things a tad rich (though not nearly as bad as I use to be). 

But I like things with a little...um...OOMPH, if you will.

Some kickin' flavor.

Some drooltasticness.

Some saliva-inducing quality.

So, just because this tub of glop, 

Nature's Healthy Gourmet Original Hummus 

(found in the awesome, great and holy place of Whole Foods)

probably won't have me clamoring for seconds, 

doesn't mean those with more organic tongue buds 

won't be drooling over it's more 

neutral/natural tones of badass bean, 

I assure you. 

If you like your paste a bit lacking in the tahini department

and 

don't mind a less sodium-esque experience 

(I'm a salt lover. Guilty. True story. Put me away!)

then this may be the tub of choice (T.O.C) for you.

Herein commences the first dip: the anticipation is building...

Then BOOM! Shot down!

It was just too neutral for me.

BUT

if you're into the more whipped kind of stuff

(of course, my lardy bum loves a bit of weight, 

something more substantial)

then this is for you, though it's not as fluffy as the Athenos brand (thank-to-the-goodness!).

I won't lie - I pawned the rest of this off on my Vegan friend.

She totally dug it.

Like I was saying, she fit the bill - she likes foods that are more...

how do you put it...?

...earthy, I guess. 

Organic. 

None the richer, if you will.

She'll down Vegan animal cookies, veggie chips, carrots, and raw green peppers like the dickens 

(lot of raw stuff actually)...

That sort of thing.

That's why I can't really knock this stuff too bad, 

because when it comes down to it, it's some healthy shit-ake, 

and that's not to be taken lightly in today's 

over-greased, 

over-salted, 

over-most-things-bad-for-you and 

most-things-over-processed 

society.

So to be honest, I'd rather down some semi-yummy 

but uber-healthy 

hummusness,

compared to just plain processed crap like:

that makes one feel like:

instead of feeling capable of:

or:

So I guess the lesson of the day is

that we should learn to lower our taste-buds

when it comes to being overly-processed

 "flavorthrillers"

(did we just come up with a new term? I think so...!)

and learn to enjoy the simpler things sometimes.

Okay, now I need to make it official by emphasizing it:

FLAVORTHRILLERS

Enjoy :)

~ Nema the Nosher

We. Are. Hummusapiens!

I swear I should be a spokesperson for Sabra. 

This time it's the Basil Pesto tub that I am pleased to introduce to you...you, what should I call us, the hummus-lovers of the world...

It's gotta be good, something unforgettable yet realistic...

How about Hummicans? Or Hummicurians? Hummustatians? Hummaphrodites? No!

I feel like Humm-ty Dumpty because I can't think of the right thing.

Oh my gosh! I got it: Hummusapiens! 

EUREKA, folks!!

I am a proud (sometimes loud) HUMMUSAPIEN!

Let it be known throughout the land of blogenshlein and blogtopia that 

those who dwell amongst these virtual pages 

(and myself, the leader of such hummus-lovin' readers and eaters)

that we have dubbed ourselves

the great, the all knowing, the all powerful

HUMMUSAPIENS

True Story.

NOW, onto the hummus of today (or, H.O.T, if you will)

Now, you may notice the condensation up there on the first photo - that's because I was so darn tootin' excited that I took the picture after I just got back from the store.

Being humid as all-get-out here in Florida, that's what happens to hummus in a 15 minute car ride after being pushed around in a cart for 20 minutes.

So it holds up pretty well if you ask me.

But that's neither here nor there.

The MAIN reason we're here is for the taste, or "flava'" if you will.

 Okay, so this stuff is good. Though it's not my favorite. I think it has to do with the fact that the basil pesto-ness can somewhat take away from the hummus-y taste that I prefer. I like when it's either Garbanzo or Tahini flavor at 75% +...not the case here.
BUT, that's not to say that I wouldn't, on an odd kind of day,
(like during my period when my taste-buds go all sorts of wacky different ways)
want something dancing around in there besides some chickpeaish/tahinish flava' 
if you know what I'm saying 
(and you do if you too possess a moody poonana when Aunt Flow comes riding in the crimson wave.)


Enjoy! And may Moses be ever so gentle
in parting your Red Seas
and may that pathway be strewn with
the goodness of the garbanzo
in hopes of making the journey
that much more manageable.

Ha!

~ Nema the Nosher

A Friendly Introduction

  I am thrilled and pleased to write of another "first": the introduction of a new hummus by a friend. 

I call her Babs, and now she will be called Babsalicious because of her thoughtful foray into my world of garbanzo goodness (though the First Dunk picture will have to be excused since this was at her house). 

When she learned I was coming over last Friday she went out and bought this for me, for which I was ever so grateful:

Deep in the bush, down under, the little Publix elves were churning the chickpeas and testing the Tahini with this little number. 

While there's something to say about Sabra's technique in clustering their flavor in the center, this Publix Deli Roasted Red Pepper concoction was damn good. 

If you could peek through that plastic right up there, you can kind of see the little bits of chickpea ground up, which is fantastic when it's not perfectly smooth. 

I like a little texture, 

a little something something to break down in my mouth. 

It had the chunk and for that, I was pleased. 

The only sour note about the texture what that it was a little too fluffy, kind of a whipped substance-type of dip, and I like something more thick to scoop and swirl onto my dipper-of-choice (DOC). 

In this case, I brought a ziplock baggie of pretzels 

that were quickly replaced by some sweet-potato chips,

which were DE-LIC-IOUS. 

Thank. 

You. 

Babs!

The taste was up to par as far Roasted Red pepper goes, though the only thing about those already mixed hummus dips is that there's actually no pieces of pepper to be found, which is a bit of a disappointment, but at least you know what you're getting when you buy it. Overall, a successful Roasted Red Pepper mixture, but I'd sooner move on to try another one than rebuy or retry.

~ Nema the Nosher

NYH's 1st Tradition and Tuscan Herbness

I am declaring a new tradition on this blog: 

the First Dip. 

From hereon out every new tub of hummus' first dip will be memorialized in the pages of this blog.

This moment took place on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at 12:05 am. Happy 4th of July by the way!!!

I've been wanting to try the garden hummus - there was Tuscan Herb and Southwest available, obviously you know which I picked.

This tastes somewhat herby and has a mild but pleasant and apparent vegetable taste, 

something like spinach, tomato, and 

a tinge of something herby that 

I can't quite put a finger on. 

That uniquely hummus taste however 

is not overpowered by it, 

which is what I like best about this one. 

I always want to know that I'm eating hummus. 

I'm assuming the Southwestern one 

will be kind of overpowering, 

I'm sort of not looking forward to trying it - but a gal's gotta do what gal;s gotta do!

In this case this gal's gotta take one for the team and try the dangum Southwest hummus next

...well, maybe soon instead of next, 

it depends how I feelwhen I'm standing there 

in front of them all.

I think I'll go through the Sabras Hummus choices first, since they are the easiest to get a hold of. 

I don't know if I can make it 

through the Athenos brand, 

I wasn't too thrilled with the one I tried.

But I am thrilled with this new find 

which has found it's way into my top 5.

 

And here is a funkilicious way to eat it:

 Candlelight is not necessary ;) But it always adds a little flava'...

Peace out and enjoy, 

~ Nema the Nosher

Tuskan Raiders, Cowboys, and Other Hot stuff!

It's happened again! By mere accident I have found another scrumptious way to devour hummus and that is with the 
mighty morphin power of 
HOT SAUCE!!!

(Well, okay, maybe not completely by accident, I mean the bottle of hot sauce didn't magically tip over into the hummus tub BUT it was a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, which I'm sure you can appreciate nevertheless)

Yes, yes, they sell hummus with jalapenos 
and the supremely spicy sort, 
BUT
this is nothing like those two. 
This is Wild Wild West meets the Middle East. 
This is those burly cowboy folk sitting around a bonfire roasting a prairie dog meets Tusken Raiders, aka the Sand People. 

 (Hmm...doesn't look as it good as it sounds from the pictures, but don't let that deter you!)


Now, some instruction is necessary.
Don't go overboard or you'll get too much of the hot-saucy taste if you know what I mean. 
Just drizzle a bit in some regular classic hummus (I used Louisiana's Pure Extra Hot Sauce this time, but will moving onto other kinds soon enough), 
mix it (Snyder's of Hanover's Pounder bag of pretzel sticks be praised!), 
and then...
guzzle like a vulture at a roadside breakfast buffet, because let me tell you, this mix is addictive.

Ok, so first thing's first: Man up! Be brave!

Next, choose your poison: Pretzels are my usual route (28 sticks for 110 cals., just sayin')...

Lastly, the deadly combo of hot humtastic delight:

VOILA!

May the sauce be with you ;)

With Love,

Nema, the Nosher

HummusAddict4Life

I'm an addict. 

A low down dirty addict of the garbanzo bean and chickpea sort.

It all started back in May of 2007, under the Bedouin tribe's tent in Israel as the sun was setting behind the Negev desert mountains. Maybe it was the company of the four other lovely ladies sharing the round table tray of Middle Eastern cuisine with me, maybe it was the hospitable and humble Bedouin tribe members who lifted the wicker tops off the various bowls filled with salads and pita bread, but when it comes down to it, it was the smoothly mixed glob of goodness ready for the dunking of a lifetime that drew me in. 

And dunk we did. 

I dunked like the dickens and never looked back.

Well, okay, maybe it took another four years before my mere appreciation for the globbity goodness of creamy delight took a deep seated rootedness in my soul, but sink and hook it did nonetheless. 

I would like to say this is just another phase, I get those quite often. Yet, after months of recurring consumption of pounds - nay, tens of pounds at least, of hummus in various forms, flavors, colors, and uses, I have concluded that this glorious creation is a permanent and very dear part of my life.

Fast forward four years:

 What I plan to discuss on this blog:

Reviews on the various brands of hummus available at general grocery stores, 

Reviews on brands at not-so-typical grocery stores, 

Methods of consuming this godsend treat for our taste-buds, 

Things to pair with Hummus for dunking sessions, 

Other awesome goodies to snack on, namely salsa, guacamole, trail mixes, granolas, cereals, and the occasional home-baked treats and recipes :)

+ other related stuff that comes my way...

~ Nema the Nosher, HummusAddict4Life