‘They should be tracked down and reported': the best (and worst) supermarket hummus tasted and rated by Honey & Co
Let's start with a caveat: we have serious issues with the concept of readymade, long-shelf-life hummus. Some dips lend themselves to tub life, but for us, hummus is like bread: something that should be made fresh daily. Indeed, in our restaurants, we make a batch every day, and the tubs we sell in the deli are good for three.
The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.
We also want to challenge the idea that readymade hummus is a 'healthy' snack. Freshly made with chickpeas and tahini, and seasoned with lemon, salt, garlic and maybe a little cumin, yes, hummus is wholesome. However, most of the ones we tested had added oil (olive oil in the better ones, vegetable oil in the rest), and some included preservatives and other additives, making them ultra-processed foodstuffs and decidedly not healthy.
For most of your hummus needs, we recommend buying from a specialist or, better yet, making your own using good-quality tinned chickpeas and tahini. It comes together in seconds and tastes far better than anything you can buy. Still, even we aren't above a readymade dip now and then, and hummus really is the perfect companion to an office spread, a long train ride or an impromptu picnic, so we may as well know the good from the bad.
£3.50 for 500g at Tesco (70p/100g)£3.50 for 500g at Sainsbury's (70p/100g)★★★★☆
This really tastes of chickpeas, which is great and, not surprisingly, it contains more chickpeas (66%) than any of the others tested. Not too lemony, highly seasoned, but in a good way. Quite a few additives, though.
£1.95 for 150g at Morrisons (£1.30/100g)£1.95 for 150g at Sainsbury's (£1.30/100g)★★★★☆
A very leftfield hummus, but one we thoroughly enjoyed. The smoke comes through powerfully and pleasantly. It's vinegary, too, which is unusual, but it works in this context. Pleasant texture and mostly natural ingredients. Great as a dip or sandwich filler.
£2.50 for 250g at Ocado (£1/100g)★★★☆☆
Smooth, easy to eat and with a resealable lid. The seasoning is balanced, but the texture is a bit greasy and fatty. It's also loaded with oil, preservatives and additives, and has a suspiciously long shelf-life, which is not so good if you're avoiding UPFs.
£2.75 for 170g at Waitrose (£1.62/100g)★★★☆☆
The packaging is good and easy to open. It's not resealable, but the quantity is suited to a single sitting. The texture is grainy, the seasoning heavily citric, and the oil makes it claggy and almost too rich. Still, this is pretty decent stuff, with no preservatives or additives and all-natural ingredients.
Sign up to The Filter
Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.
after newsletter promotion
£3 for 170g at Ocado (£1.76/100g)★★★☆☆
The texture is aerated in an unpleasant way, and it has a claggy mouthfeel and a heavily citric, almost metallic flavour. The chickpeas on top looked like a nice touch, but they were undercooked.
£2.65 for 250g at Tesco (£1.06/100g)£2.65 for 250g at Ocado (£1.06/100g)★★★☆☆
This tastes so much like the Sabra one that we thought it might be made by the same manufacturer. A close inspection of the packet confirmed our suspicions (see above for verdict), and we felt very proud of our palates.
£2.95 for 185g at Waitrose (£1.59/100g)£3.95 for 185g at Ocado (£2.14/100g)★★★☆☆
We really wanted to enjoy this one, but couldn't. The glass jar is classy, but there was a weird, watery residue on top. The texture's oddly bouncy (not unlike grout), and the flavour is what you'd imagine grout tastes like. That said, bar the citric acid, it's all natural.
99p for 200g at Sainsbury's (50p/100g)☆☆☆☆☆
Appealing container in a paper sleeve, but that's where the positives end. Vile on every level: looks like thin glue (it's split and congealed), the chickpeas are chalky, gravelly and undercooked, and have an aftertaste that lingers in a way that makes you want to brush your teeth for ever. Avoid at all costs.
99p for 200g at Tesco (50p/100g)☆☆☆☆☆
Tastes exactly like the Sainsbury's version, and we suspect it's made using the same misguided recipe by the same manufacturer. If that's the case, they should be tracked down and reported.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour is doing almost everything badly, say voters in poll showing huge public dissatisfaction with Starmer over immigration, the economy and the NHS
The public think Labour is handling almost every major issue poorly, according to bleak new polling. A survey of more than 8,000 Britons has shown that most think the Government is doing badly on all but two of 15 important policies. The YouGov research found that people are particularly scathing about the way Sir Keir Starmer 's administration is tackling three crucial areas. 'Undoubtedly, the public do mostly think the government are handling many key issues badly, with this particularly noticeable on the three issues that have consistently topped our most important issues tracker since the election: the NHS, immigration and the economy,' the pollster said. Three-quarters think immigration is being handled badly, with a majority (52 per cent) saying ministers are doing 'very badly', while only one in seven (14 per cent) give Labour positive marks. Seven in ten say the economy and NHS are being handled badly, in surveys carried out since May, compared with just one in five who support ministers' efforts. In addition, more than six in ten say the Government is doing a bad job on welfare (69 per cent), housing (66), crime (64) and inflation (62). The only faintly positive result concerns Labour's handling of terrorism, where 37 per cent say the Government is doing well and 34 per cent disagree. And on defence the public are split which 34 per cent disapproving of ministers' approach and 41 per cent backing it. However YouGov pointed out that 'the last Conservative government was also seen as doing better than average on these two issues, particularly terrorism, suggesting credit may not be due to Labour for managing these issues uniquely well'. It comes after Sir Keir plumbed new depths of unpopularity in YouGov's ratings tracker, with even half of Labour's own voters now holding an unfavourable view of him. In detailed findings that may particularly alarm No 10, the survey found that women have a particularly negative view of the Government. Only 16 per cent of women questioned said ministers were handling health well, compared with 26 per cent of men. 'Although the 20-point gender difference on the handling of the NHS is exceptionally large, the pattern is not unusual, with the government's net handling score lower among women on all but one issue polled (transport),' YouGov said. It comes amid claims five million pensioners face paying extra tax to claw back their winter fuel allowance. A complicated solution being mooted to defuse fury at Labour slashing the benefit - worth up to £300 - would see it handed to all the older generation this season. However, around half - with annual incomes over £37,000 - would repay the money later through higher tax bills. The idea has been condemned by unions amid fears bereaved families could be hit with unexpected demands for cash. Labour insiders have voiced alarm at the 'optics' of trying to recoup the allowance from the estates of those who died after getting it. Introducing a tough means test on winter fuel allowance was one of the first announcements Rachel Reeves made after entering No11, and has been blamed for triggering the dramatic slump in Labour's popularity. Only those on the lowest incomes, receiving pensioner credit, have been entitled to the handout. Keir Starmer dramatically announced a U-turn last month, without saying what exactly was being proposed or when it would take effect.
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Doctor was 'astounded' at how quickly cricket star Steve James' daughter deteriorated before her death - and tells inquest earlier treatment would not have saved 21-year-old
The doctor caring for the daughter of an England cricket star has said he was 'astounded' at how quickly she deteriorated ahead of her death, a coroner's court has heard. Bethan James, 21, the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James, died on February 8, 2020, just a few hours after being admitted to the University Hospital of Wales (UHW). A post-mortem examination found Ms James died of sepsis and pneumonia, with complications caused by Crohn's disease. Ms James, a journalism student at the University of South Wales, was treated by Dr Duncan Thomas, who said he was surprised by how quickly her condition worsened when she was brought into UHW. Dr Thomas expressed 'frustration' that Ms James had not been brought to the resuscitation area - used for treating the most seriously ill patients - earlier. However, he did not believe there was anything that could have been done to save her. Addressing South Wales Central Coroner's Court on Thursday, Mr Thomas said: 'I was, I think it's fair to say, astounded at how quickly Bethan was deteriorating. 'The rate of Bethan's deterioration was not something I had previously observed in someone of her age group, and, in my career, I have only ever seen it one more time.' While dealing with another emergency patient in cardiac arrest, Dr Thomas was informed of Ms James's worsening condition. He said: 'When I went back, Bethan was in a highly distressed state, likely as a result of multiple factors. 'She was on the edge of the bed, holding on to her mother - Bethan looked extraordinarily unwell. 'It was my clinical impression at that time that we would be looking at Bethan's cardiac arrest within a short period of time.' Throughout the inquest, concerns were raised over whether more could have been done earlier including over paramedics failing to alert the hospital about the seriousness of Ms James's condition before she was brought in. While Dr Thomas said the hospital should have received a 'pre-alert', he did not believe it would have saved her life, with damage to multiple organs already present before she arrived. 'It's my belief that, unfortunately, Bethan would have died,' he said. 'Bethan's presentation and rate of deterioration were incredibly atypical of someone of her age group.' He told the coroner, Patricia Morgan, that Ms James was suffering from a viral, rather than bacterial, form of sepsis which meant that any antibiotics they were using would not have helped. 'There would have been nothing that we were providing that would have stopped the ongoing pathology of the viral infection,' he said. Dr Thomas said Ms James's death had a 'profound' impact on him and other staff at the hospital, adding: 'I wish there was something I could have done'. Dr Anurag Joshi, the pathologist who carried out Ms James's post-mortem examination, said Crohn's, an inflammatory bowel disease which he listed as a contributory factor in her death, can lead to immune suppression. Ms James had suffered with gastrointestinal issues for most of her life and had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2019. The inquest continues.
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Isle of Wight swimmer, 104, says 'sewage' stops him going in sea
A centenarian who puts his longevity down to daily swims in the sea has said he will probably never enter open water again because of Smith, from Cowes, is celebrating his 104th birthday and has been swimming off the beaches of the Isle of Wight for more than 50 in a film made for conservation charity the Blue Marine Foundation, he said reports of sewage in rivers and the sea had put him off and he will restrict himself to using swimming pools from now Environment Agency said all of the island's beaches had bathing waters rated as good or excellent, while Southern Water said it was committed to making further improvements. The film featuring Mr Smith's comments is part of the charity's multi-million pound Solent Seascape Project to restore nature to the waters of the Solent."I look at the sea, how lovely it is, but regrettably I feel I won't be able to swim here again," Mr Smith said. Explaining his concerns about pollution, he said: "That makes me more worried about swimming in the sea, it's worrying to think that pollution is there. The sea now is not what it used to be."Mr Smith, who was born in Bedwas, south Wales, first started swimming aged three and has attributed his long life to swimming and exercise in general. A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "While huge progress has been made in creating healthier rivers and seas here over the decades, we are committed to working together with all Island partners to go further – reflecting the myriad of factors which can impact water quality, including farming, industrial and road run-off." Kate Donlon of the Environment Agency said: "All of the Isle of Wight's 15 bathing waters are classed from 'Good' to 'Excellent' and we test the waters regularly between May and end of September to give swimmers like Mr Smith confidence in their bathing water of choice." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
