Squeezable Hummus That’s Not from the Old Country

Published on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, by James Norton / Edit Post

Ami’s Squeeze Z Hummus

Ami’s Squeeze Z Hummus

I Paid: $3 for a 17-ounce bottle (prices may vary by region)

Taste: 4 stars

Marketing: 4 stars

Flavored hummus is becoming something of a trend. Until recent decades, hummus itself was relatively obscure outside of New York and other particularly cosmopolitan enclaves. But as the condiment (easy to make yourself from mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic) has become a healthy-eating staple, it has begun that inevitable American gastronomic journey from faithful reminder of the homeland to innovative, jazzed-up, reinvented trend food.

One of the most intriguing incarnations of flavored hummus is Ami’s Squeeze Z Hummus, a product currently sold in the greater New York area. Available in Dill, Classic, and Spicy flavors, Ami’s main claim to fame is that it’s the only squeezable hummus out there.

When compared with premium competitors (such as the new Tribe Origins line of flavored hummus), Ami’s is a mellower product. Tribe Origins Spicy Red Pepper hummus packed a richly textured swirl of red pepper flavor and considerable spicy bite; Ami’s Spicy hummus was a milder, lighter, gentler experience, and far more homogeneous.

The very existence of Ami’s will irritate purists (case in point: a scathing review from a writer who didn’t bother tasting the product), and there’s no getting around the fact that it doesn’t taste homemade. Neither, of course, does Heinz ketchup, a convenient, reliable, well-balanced condiment that rightfully claimed a place in fridges from coast to coast. Ami’s is what it is: a mild-mannered, easy-to-squeeze hummus product that should help further popularize one of the world’s great foods.

James Norton edits the Upper Midwestern food journal Heavy Table. He's also the coauthor of a book on Wisconsin's master cheesemakers. For his Supertaster column, he samples offerings from supermarket aisles and fast-food menus. You can follow him on Twitter and fan him on Facebook. His wife, Becca Dilley, takes the photographs for Supertaster. She specializes in weddings and food photography, and is the coauthor of and photographer for the book on Wisconsin's master cheesemakers.

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POST A COMMENT |13 Comments

COMMENT

  • I don't want to spend $4 on it but I'd love to try the aerosol pancake batter.

  • find it right next to the kraft spray cheese in a can

  • Looks like something from "Don't Mess with the Zohan".

  • I went to their website to check this out and squeezable baba-ganoush is on the way.

  • Hummus in a squeeze bottle is authentic to its roots in one way, it's a condiment and here it gets the condiment treatment. Convinient. I would happily buy it if it tasts good.

  • I don't know, I think one of the true joys of hummus is using a spoon to spread it on bread or dipping it in that plastic tub it comes in. Squeeze bottles are for ketchup and maybe mustard, not hummus. If we allow hummus in a squeeze bottle, what's next? Squeezable Baba Ganoush?

  • Tribe hummus is terrible. Sabra is overrated. I actually don't see what's wrong with squeezable hummus in theory. If it were the same ingredients/quality as good hummus, it'd be pretty convenient to have it in squeezable form.

  • I kind of like the idea of hummus in a squeeze bottle - so much easier to fill celery stalks, no need to dirty a spoon or knife when making a sandwich... I agree with the rest about the ingredients though. I'd rather buy an empty bottle and fill it with homemade.

  • Most commercial hummuses have preservatives and canola/soybean oil, including Tribe and the oft-praised Sabra. Modified food starch is a weird ingredient but the real problem with this product is NO LEMON JUICE.

    The best packaged hummus is usually a locally produced one, because it is much fresher and does not require preservatives. This would be true even if it came in a squeeze bottle.

  • how can you not be offended by hummous in a squeeze bottle? what's next, squeezable pesto? squeezable guacamole? (i don't live in the states, so forgive me if these bastardizations have been brought to market without my noticing)

    i don't have to try it to criticize it: the very idea is repulsive.

  • I agree. The ingredient list of Squeeze Z hummus is wretched. Sodium Benzoate? No thank you.

  • Nutrition info isn't much to brag about: http://www.squeezezfood.com/squeeze-z-hummus/squeeze-z-hummus-classic.php

  • i don't care if it's Tribe, Sabra, this bizarre squeezable concoction, or any other brand...modified food starch and canola oil have no business in hummus.