Author and Photographer: Blair Penn

For the past few decades, Americans have been obsessed with crafting healthy desserts as our infatuation with sugar is only growing stronger. According to a Washington Post article, the average American consumes about 120 grams of sugar per day compared to Israelis only consuming 15 grams. As you can imagine, Israelis and other Middle Eastern countries alike scoff at America’s need for sweet treats leading to the altering of hummus, a timeless Middle Eastern staple.

Hummus is a beloved ancient food, but people didn't start making a sweet variety until the early 2000s. Chickpeas aren't exactly neutral in flavor, and it does take a considerable quantity of sugar to mask the taste. However, some marketing genius must have taken advantage of Americans' love for great desserts and their even greater desire to make them semi-healthy. Hummus for dessert has become appealing to many people since chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber, and eating them for dessert could be a great way to sneak more protein into your diet.

Dessert hummus is becoming a big business. Delighted By, one of the pioneers of packaged-dessert hummus, received a $600,000 investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank and has created several flavors. Trader Joes also has a very popular chocolate hummus spread that launched in August of 2019. Even the hummus giant Sabra, which is owned by Israeli food manufacturer Strauss, released a chocolate hummus spread in 2018. The label technically calls it a “chocolate dessert dip” and doesn't use the word hummus, but the ingredients of the dip include chickpeas and sweetener. The Hummus and Pita Co., a fast casual chain with locations in Michigan, NYC, and Connecticut, even serves hummus milkshakes; that is definitely on my bucket list to try.

As more and more chocolate hummus starts to hit the shelves, there are many people who are not happy about this new development. Some Middle Eastern people say that chocolate hummus is cultural appropriation and do not agree with how this ancient food is getting altered to better fit the American palate.

Dessert hummus is simply not a thing in Israel or in the Middle East. Haim Handwerker, a writer for The Haaretz, a popular Israeli newspaper, said, “No matter how you look at it, the idea of sweet hummus didn't quite sit right with me, and the combination of mashed chickpeas and chocolate seemed hopeless.”

I have always been a big fan of Middle Eastern food and culture, especially after finding out that my mom’s stint in Israel changed her life perspective. I had never tried dessert hummus before, and I wouldn't go as far to say I am a hummus connoisseur, but I have tried many types of hummus, from the pre-packaged, store bought kind, to homemade, to fresh Israeli hummus.

After conducting further research on dessert hummus, I couldn't figure out where I stood on it. Did I side with the many Middle Eastern people who scoff at dessert hummus? Do I think altering this ancient food is cultural appropriation? I am always on the lookout for healthy desserts, so regardless dessert hummus piqued my curiosity. After much thinking, I decided to find a recipe and hoped to see if making it would tell me where I stand.

I researched many chocolate hummus recipes since I wanted to find one that used chickpeas and tahini sauce (a sesame paste that is a Middle Eastern staple) and then I finally decided on one:

Chocolate Hummus Recipe

Source: https://downshiftology.com/recipes/chocolate-hummus/

Prep time: 5 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas
¾ cup cacao powder
½ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup milk (any type)
⅓ cup tahini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender
Turn on the blender while you simultaneously use the tamper to push the ingredients down
Blend until smooth
Serve with fruit and crackers!

Making this recipe did not go as simply as it sounds. I went over to my basketball teammate’s apartment to make it, and she didn't have a strong enough blender or a tamper so it was a bit of a grind. I also could not find canned chick peas and working with dried ones that I briefly soaked in water was also difficult. However, the chocolate hummus did turn out quite tasty in my opinion, and I would definitely attempt this recipe again, but this time with the correct chickpeas!

Ironically, when I made it back to my Max P suite, my two suitemates were already munching on some Trader Joe's chocolate hummus and strawberries. I tried some of the Trader Joe's hummus, which tasted a lot less nutty and was way less flavorful than my hummus, which had strong notes of tahini and cocoa powder. Also, Trader Joe's hummus is very sweet, while my hummus had a more bitter and yet rich chocolate-y taste. My suitemates tried my version of chocolate hummus but definitely preferred the blander and sweeter Trader Joe’s version to mine.

After making my own chocolate hummus and trying the popular Trader Joe's staple, I still can't really decide where I stand on the Americanization of hummus. On the one hand I agree that hummus was not meant to be eaten for dessert, and is not meant to be Chocolate or Snickerdoodle flavored. I prefer eating my hummus alongside pita and “salat katzutz” (an Israeli salad). However, I am always on the quest for healthy, protein packed desserts, and it would not be my number-one choice, but I would definitely indulge in chocolate hummus again.

The Americanization of Hummus: Good or Bad?