Trader Joe's Herbed Tahini Sauce

It seems that Trader Joe's is aware of our collective sense of new hummus flavor fatigue. There have been so many new hummus flavors on the market (except for a hypothetical TJ's pumpkin spice flavored hummus - please don't get any ideas) that we're done! So what does TJ's do? Release a "tahini sauce" aka A HUMMUS IN DISGUISE. Sneaky sneaky. 

Mind you, I purchased this thinking it was a drizzle-able sauce. Like tzatziki. You know, something that is a little bit liquid-leaning in consistency. Herbs? Tahini? Sounds like a winning combo to me. 

1. Technically, it's not a hummus. There isn't any chickpeas. Are chickpeas required in a hummus? I think so. But functionally speaking, it's a hummus. The consistency is far too thick to be a sauce, just sayin. It has the texture of a hummus, which is fine because this is pretty tasty. 

1a. Maybe it's not a hummus in disguise. Maybe it's hummus' chickpea-less cousin - tahini dip. 

2. It has basically the same nutritional profile as a hummus. A hummus lists the serving size as 2 tablespoons with a calorie count anywhere between 60-90 depending on brand and flavor, and this lists a serving size as 1/4 cup. Who actually ONLY has two tablespoons of hummus at a time? 

3. Tahini-based sauces/dips are nutty and can lean a bit bitter the tahini is used excessively without anything to balance out the flavor. This tahini dip has the nice sesame nuttiness without the bitterness. The herbs don't look particularly appetizing but I suppose the parsley does contribute. Garlic and salt with a teensy bit of undetectable chile makes a pretty good flavor combo, and the citric acid balances out the potential bitter note from the tahini. 

4. All in all, this makes a good dip particularly with crackers and crudite. $2.99 for a 8oz tub. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Herbed Tahini Sauce. I can't believe it's not hummus! 8 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Already done and did it.