Value for Money: Hummus

Natasha’s Basil & Black Pepper

€4.45 for 180g, €24.72 per kg

The price of this product might be high, but it has some unique selling points. It has a gorgeously spicy kick and an almost pesto-like flavour. It has a very coarse texture and, although the chickpeas have been puréed, they still manage to have something close to a crunch. The ingredient list is as pure and as wholesome as you would expect from a brand that makes “raw and living foods”. Despite it being very tasty, at this price it might be a struggle to justify including it in the weekly shop.

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Tesco Finest Sicilian Lemon

Verdict: Deliciously dear.
Star rating: ****

Avoca Caramelised Onion

€4.50 for 264g, €17.04 per kg

This is an odd product. Although it comes from a very good, very high-end brand, the texture of the chickpeas is a bit too soft and the consistency of the hummus is a little too liquid. The little pieces of caramelised onion in the mix are unsettlingly soft and sweet, and there is a hint of greasiness. Although it is more than edible, and some people will love it, it would have been a much better product if Avoca had kept it simple and gone easier on the oil.

Verdict: Nice but not for us.
Star rating:***

Marks & Spencer spicy red

€2.09 for 200g, €10.45 per kg

M&S is the godfather of hummus: the chain introduced it to a great many Irish people in the
1980s and 1990s. This is a variant on its traditional deal, but it retains the earthy flavour of the chickpeas and the dense texture many people will be familiar with.
It is spicy – although not, perhaps, as spicy as Natasha's – and has little flecks of red pepper, which are pleasingly crunchy. It is a particularly nuclear shade of orange, mind you.

Verdict: Very good
Star rating: ****

Tesco Finest Sicilian Lemon

€2.39 for 165g, €14.48 per kg

Like Marks & Spencer, Tesco sells a wide array of hummus, but this one – with its scattering of bits on top and its promise of lemon zinginess – really catches the eye. While it is not the most expensive, it is still on the pricey side. It does not disappoint on the zingy scale, but the bits of roasted vegetables on top are a distraction to the main event. It is an okay product, but not one we’d be rushing to buy again and again.

Verdict: Not bad.
Star rating: ***