Hummus is my one true love. After having lived as a vegetarian and vegan since 7th grade, I’ve relied on hummus as an animal-free protein for years. After trying countless brands and flavors, I would say I'm a self-proclaimed hummus fanatic. However, not all hummus is created equal.
Lucky for you, I’ve recently discovered the best brand of local hummus to ever exist: Roots Hummus from Asheville, NC. Just as its label reads, every batch is sacred. Roots is light, fluffy, and flavorful — I’ve admittedly eaten an entire tub on my own, in one sitting. I took on the responsibility of trying all 10 flavors that the company makes (as a favor to you guys, of course). I can’t say it was difficult to complete this task in under a month, as my roommate and I only take about three to four days to get through a container. We can’t help it! So I present to you, my hummus-loving reader, a ranking and description of all 10 flavors of Roots Hummus.
10. Oil-Free Original
All I have to say is: nope. The flavor is too subtle, but the biggest issue I have was the texture. It's so dense dry due to the lack of oil that I'm left with a bland, desert-like experience. Not ideal, to say the least. Oil, please come back.
9. Hot Chipotle
The Hot Chipotle flavor doesn't live up to the name of my favorite burrito food chain by any means. The consistency is pretty dense, but my biggest problem i with the spice. Granted, the label gives a pretty clear warning about the high spice level, but the heat was admittedly too much for me to handle.
8. Thai Coconut Curry
I am obsessed with Thai food and with Thai curry, so I was beyond excited to try this flavor. I was a little let down when it came to both flavor and texture. Though the flavor is enjoyable, it lacks that creamy coconut-milk taste that Thai curry is famous for, and the texture is really dry. Additionally, there are little bits of red chillies scattered throughout the hummus, which I don't love.
7. Roasted Red Bell Pepper
Okay, I might be a bit biased with this ranking because I’ve always hated roasted bell peppers. They’re mushy and slimy and taste too strong. Regular bell peppers are so good – why roast them and ruin them? Surprisingly, the texture of this flavor is great (much less slimy than actual roasted red peppers), but I'm not crazy about the flavor. If you like the flavor of roasted red bell peppers, then this flavor would be a winner for you.
6. Mango Sriracha
All the people who work at our nearest Whole Foods can't stop talking about Roots Hummus because they’re all obsessed with it. The flavor they recommended to me was Mango Sriracha, so I have to admit that my hopes and dreams were a little shattered after trying it. It's definitely tasty, but isn't anything earth-shattering. "Mango Sriracha" is an exotic, flavor-punch-sounding flavor, but the taste of this hummus doesn't live up to its name.
5. Roasted Garlic
Okay fine, you caught me. My roommate and I ate the entire container in 20 minutes. Granted, we both felt like we hadn't eaten since last Thanksgiving, so the speed with which we consumed this flavor might not be indicative of an obsession with it. Right when we opened the container, we both noted how enticing the texture of this flavor is: smooth, moist, creamy and light. However, though the flavor of the garlic was tasty, it doesn't have that indulgent, salty, guilty-pleasure feel that make garlic dips famous.
4. Spinach
I’ve always been obsessed with spinach artichoke dip, and this flavor kind of reminds me of that. Naturally, I'm a BIG supporter of this flavor. The dark green color freaks me out a little bit, however, and the texture is a bit dry.
3. Lima Bean
I know, I was surprised too. Lima beans are a pretty bland tasting vegetable in my opinion, but when made in to hummus, they are flavorful perfection! I’ll admit, the neon-ish green color is slightly off-putting, but the lima beans create such a light and airy texture. The flavor is subtle, but so tasty.
2. Original
I found myself struggling between Lima Bean and Original for spot #2, but I ultimately couldn’t abandon my first love, Original. Original was the first flavor of Roots I ever tried, and it introduced me to the whole world of Roots flavors. I can't help but be thankful to it. Don’t be discouraged by the name; the subtler taste of this hummus allows it to pair perfectly with anything.
1. Black Bean
Black bean is my favorite by a landslide. The texture is a bit denser than Original, and the flavor has a slight Tex-Mex tinge to it that transports me to that sweet-but-evil, guilty-pleasure feeling I get after indulging in a Chipotle burrito bowl. The upside? The aftertaste is way better, and you probably save yourself a good 400 calories.
So, there you have it, the ranking of arguably the best brand of hummus on the planet. Take each flavor criticism with a grain of salt, as I'd likely choose flavors 1 through 8 over any other brand of hummus. If I haven't convinced you to go to your nearest supermarket and purchase Roots, you should know that Durham's Whole Foods has an entire refrigerator designated to it.