Before you write this off as, ugh not another hummus flavor, hear me out. I think in general America loves hummus and looks forward to trying another unnecessary flavor. Like ice cream. Is it necessary to have a million flavors of ice cream? No but we love the choice, even if the paradox of choice (among a tireless variety of options) makes it harder to choose. And for those of us who like savory dips more than sweet treats, can we have our 100 flavors too?
Does the packaging hint at the fact that you'll find lots of old-looking parsley leaves in the hummus? Perhaps. If you've never had tabbouleh, you're missing out. If I recall correctly, TJ's does have a pre-made tabbouleh in the refrigerated section, but I prefer fresh versions from local falafel joints. It packs lots of flavor and herbs. Like, to the uninitiated, a TON of herbs where you question am I eating a grain salad or an herb salad? And usually, at my preferred falafel joint, tabbouleh is served alongside hummus to go with your pita or whatever sandwich platter situation you're eating. It's never IN the hummus. It's like how you might have macaroni or potato salad at a summer barbecue. Can you imagine if someone made a barbecue flavored potato salad? I mean...sure why not but isn't it kind of gratuitous?
1) I'm glad I didn't let my pragmatism keep me from trying this hummus because it's surprisingly good.
2) It's basically spiced like a tabbouleh salad, which is kind of impressive. It has a tangy, herb-y taste - I mean citric acid is really doing its job. If you like sour/acidic things like I do, you'll like it on that basis alone.
3) I'll be the first to admit that this hummus is not the most visually appealing product. One of the appeals of a fresh tabbouleh is the color and freshness from the herbs. When the fresh parsley turns brown and wilts, that fresh tabbouleh loses its appeal faster than a has-been child star who went too crazy on the drugs...plus they included random pieces of diced tomato. Which is a very literal interpretation of a tabbouleh hummus, fine. I don't mind it. I don't think it adds very much to the overall product but if it makes everyone understand that they really went for the tabbouleh concept, fine. But if you're a person who doesn't like random flecks of things that resemble a wilting salad that has sat out in the sun, fair warning, you might be turned off.
4) Flecks aside, the base of this hummus is back to the usual quality I expect from a TJ's hummus. It's light on the tahini flavor and reasonably smooth.
5) Nope, it's not organic, and I ain't mad. $1.99 per tub. Going to devour this with pita.
TL;DR: Trader Joe's Tabbouleh Style Hummus. Tabbouleh flavor in your hummus. If you eat this with a blindfold, it could earn a 10. But this isn't Love Is Blind soooo 8.5 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Yes please!
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