Wilder Shaw / Cheapism
The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors available at Trader Joe's are never a letdown. While the TJ dip lineup is lengthy, a huge portion of them land in the hummus realm. With so many types of Trader Joe's hummus available, which should you choose? I grabbed 10 flavors, from spicy and creamy to herbaceous and chunky, and got to work.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
$3.79
This is a beautiful hummus. The spiciness of the jalapeños shine and the brightness from the cilantro lifts everything up. This is legitimate umami, and it's only made better by anything you choose to dip in it. Way-to-freakin'-go, TJ.
$3.99
At first, Mediterranean is a major banger. We’ve got pine nuts, red pepper, fresh herbs, and some olive oil floating across the top. A few bites in, however, it’s clear that this 16-ounce tub only has those goodies speckled across the very top.
After they’re gone, you’ve got 90% of the tub left, and it’s just basic hummus. The good news is, what remains tastes far better than TJ's Organic or Classic hummus. Even though the finish can't measure up to the start, this is still a winner.
$3.99
Crunchy Chili Onion is TJ's house chili crisp, and the store's hummus version is excellent because it saves me a step. If I've got both hummus and Crunchy Chili Onion in the house, it's a safe bet that I'm going to combine them. This is spicy, creamy, and fragrant in the best way.
$2.49
First of all: Barely.
This is barely spicy. The Cilantro and Jalapeño is significantly spicier, and that packaging doesn't even contain the word "spicy." All that aside, the flavor is really nice, tomatoey and vegetal. A little bit of TJ Peri-Peri sauce across the top might bring this to new heights.
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$3.49
I'm not usually the biggest roasted red pepper fan, so I didn't know where I'd land on this one. Turns out it's very good, and that crimson color is a pretty one. Very red, very roasty, but not too peppery — this is a tasty hummus that's bursting with rustic flavor.
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$3.99
Remember the kid who used to hit the soda fountain and combine every single flavor and pretend it tasted good? It should come as no surprise to you that I was that kid. As such, what can I say, I love a three-layer anything. This one is a combination of TJ's Cilantro and Jalapeño, Classic, and Spicy varieties. And yeah, I'm into it. Heck, make it a 10-layer hummus. See what I care.
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$2.49
I have been called a tomato head before (due to both my love of tomatoes and my enormous, round head), but this really didn't do too much for me. If you're looking for caprese-style flavors, your search needs to continue. This reminds me more of tomato juice, and since this is not an airport bar, I have no interest in such a thing.
$2.69
Perhaps all these newfangled hummus flavors are too much for you. Perhaps you're more inclined to reach for the basics. If that's the case, go with Organic. Deeper in flavor, stronger on the sesame, and earthier than the TJ standard, this is the one you want.
$3.79
This is so boring. It tastes like drinking a shot of tahini. There's no reason to buy this, especially when it's more expensive than Organic.
$2.29
If I am to be truthful, I am a Sabra boy. Sabra's garlic option is my go-to when hummus shopping, so I was surprised to see how hard Trader Joe's falls short here. This is just ... bad. Garlic isn't really the main flavor here — it's more like cardboard — and after each bite, your mouth is as dry as the ruin's of Imhotep's tomb.
