The Hummus War has Begun
Last Sunday, the Hummus Was has finally began. Unlike other wars, this one is going to be fairly harmless, because the fighting will be done by means of marketing, advertising, giveaways and special prices.
Calcalist is the #3 business publication in Israel, a relatively new and small newspaper. It’s a very mainstream, nevertheless, so it usually deals with mainstream business news – nothing like that main headline on August 3rd. The headline said: The Hummus War.
It’s seems like a very common news item: two major local companies fighting over a market. The point is that these two companies, Osem and Strauss, are fighting over the American hummus market.
Strauss owns Sabra, an American manufacturer founded by former Israelis. Earlier this year Pepsico also bought a piece of the company, and the two are working together to market hummus to every American household. In Israel, Strauss is the #1 manufacturer of store bought hummus under the brand of Hummus Achla.
Envious of it’s success, Osem – who owns Hummus Tzabar, is Strauss’s main competitor in Israel – is about to buy Tribe, the #2 hummus manufacturer in the states. Ironically, “Tzabar” means “Sabra” in Hebrew, by the way.
Currently, the American hummus market estimated value is around 250 million dollars, and growing. That’s after a 78 percent growth in the past year.
Now, it’s true that store bought hummus is a very poor substitute for the real thing, but for many in the middle-eastern diaspora it’s the closest thing they can put hands on. Besides, when there’s demmand for hummus, new hummus places are established. So corporate money going into hummus marketing is bound to make room for real hummus too.
Comments
8 Responses to “The Hummus War has Begun”
Got something to say?
E-mail updates
The hummus SHOP
Buy tahini, chickpeas, olive oil, falafel mix., halva & more.
Please vote for us
-
Tribe barely even qualifies as hummus. It’s basically flavored hummus-based dips. Sabra, on the other hand, is as good as any commercial hummus sold in Israel.
One would think an arab company will market hummus. Kinda like a Russian selling spaghetti.
I am really astonish to read such comments namely the one of this guy moking from arab companies though we do not consider ourselves as arabs but hummus is a lebanese renowned dish for ages in our menus and tradition with taboule kebbe and other mezza dishes
regards
Oh noes! Chickpeas fight!
[...] on some market competition intensification overseas, The Hummus Blog estimates that the American hummus market is currently worth some $250 million annually, and [...]
You can buy Sabra Hummus, which is excellent, in big buckets at Costco’s new business warehouses, at amazing prices. I add garlic powder, ground dried African birds-eye (piri piri) pepper, and eat it in sections of Vidalia onion as I learned to do from my favorite Boston Arab restaurant (I think Egyptian) during my college days, for a real feinschmecker treat. That restaurant, “The Nile”, long gone to make room for urban development, was my 1950’s education in good Arab cooking.
Tribe is crap; end of story. So is almost every other major label commercial Hummus other than Sabra, in the US. Osem just doesn’t seem to understand quality, or just doesn’t care in pursuit of the Shekel/Dollar. The same remark applies to Osem crackers and sesame munchies, compared to Beigel and Beigel, which is marvelous
David Sternlight, Ph.D.
Los Angeles.
watch out all you false marketers out there…just like Champagne was always from Champagne, France, Hummus and Tabbouleh are from Lebanon!
I just discovered a source of many more brands of Israeli/Middle Eastern Hebrew-labelled Hummus in Los Angeles, at the Glatt Mart on Pico, In addition to Sabra and Miki they have Achla from Israel, and something called “Hafla–The Hummus Factory” made in LA.
My ratings:
1. Homemade from Jean Nathan’s recipes (either original or latest one), or from The Hummus Blog recipe.
2. Achla
3. Sabra
4. Hafla
5. Miki
Tribe is horrible, Osem or not. Costco’s business warehouses have apparently stopped carrying Sabra in huge buckets and now carry Tribe. Too bad. But Costco’s regular warehouses still carry Sabra in larger sizes than the normal Supermarket size. Trader Joe’s Hummus doesn’t cut it, nor do the various Arab and Greek sounding brands widely carried in major US supermarket chains.
When making your own I imported a jar of Karawan Tehina from Israel at an exorbitant price, based on the reputation as Israel’s best (it’s actually made by Israeli Arabs in their village the old-fashioned way). The reputation is well deserved and it makes extraordinary Hummus. A second choice is Al Wadi, widely available in ethnic markets in the US, though made in Lebanon.
Many Arab Hummus recipes and most packaged Hummus use Citric Acid (Sour Salt) instead of Lemon Juice, probably for preservation reasons. Homemade is better with Lemon Juice.
On the Westside of LA, Alcazar Express on Westwood Blvd. has excellent
Hummus; Sunnin’s is ok but not addictive. In the valley the Hummus Bar and Grill has the best, though I have not tried the Encino branch of Israel’s Itzik Hagodol. It is rather pricey compared to the Hummus Bar and Grill. The Hummus Bar and Grill also has a pretty good chopped liver to take away. The best way to eat it is 50:50 with the Hummus Bar and Grill’s egg salad, perhaps with some fried onion or onion powder added.