This hummus hums: Public appetite grows for local brand
FOR MORE THAN a decade, a little company at 5th and Spring Garden streets has been quietly feeding into a burgeoning food obsession.
FOR MORE THAN a decade, a little company at 5th and Spring Garden streets has been quietly feeding into a burgeoning food obsession.
Hummus.
Not just any hummus: Bobbi's hummus.
This creamy, garlic-laced concoction was first sold in small quantities 16 years ago in specialty shops and local food co-ops. But in the past few years, thanks to a growing love for the chickpea-based dip, Bobbi's is expanding it customer base in local supermarkets such as Whole Foods, ShopRite and McCaffrey's in Bucks County.
What makes it so special? The recipe and the production process are kept under lock and key. But it's safe to say that garlic, garlic and more garlic contribute to its appeal.
Talk to Bobbi's Philadelphia fans - who are so obsessed they write jingles about it and send them in to the company - or check out foodie blogs, and you'll find a cult so ardent they eat the stuff right from the container with spoons.
"Bobbi's hummus is the absolute best," gushed one Philly blogger on www.abrooklynlife.com while arguing with hard-core New Yorkers who favor a brand called Sabra's. "All fresh ingredients, no preservatives. Eat it right out of the tub!"
"Bobbi's is food of the gods," said Chowhound blogger Miss Funky Soul, who hails from the Philly 'burbs.
"Truly and seriously. I think it is so good because it has a lot of garlic, more lemon juice than most and zero tahini. . . . If I don't have a tub of this stuff in the house, I feel totally deprived."
The family affair
The guy behind Bobbi's, Robert Katz, is banking on this growing obsession.
His late father, Aaron Katz, founded Philly UHF Channel 17 and other UHF stations around the country. His mother, Barbara "Bobbi" Katz, founded Bobbi's. Growing up in such an entrepreneurial family, it was a no-brainer for Robert Katz to buy the hummus business in 2006.
Barbara Katz began making hummus as a lark at home. Her recipe became so beloved by family and friends, she decided to take a plunge and open a hummus-only business in 1993. Back then, most people viewed hummus as an exotic treat to sample at Mediterranean restaurants.
"My mother was always a creative individual. When we lived in California, she used to make it for my brother and me as a snack," said Katz. "It clearly morphed into a garlic concoction. It ended up attracting a clientele that loves garlic."
Katz is expanding up and down the Eastern seaboard and hopes to go national. This year, projected earnings are expected to reach $5 million.
That's a lot of chickpeas.
"Hummus as a whole has become one of the largest condiments in the U.S. today," said Katz, who took over the business three years ago at age 35. He is also a principal in the Horn & Hardart Baking Co. and is working on a natural line of bagel spreads to be marketed under the Horn & Hardart brand later this year.
In 2007, AC Nielsen estimated hummus sales rose 25 percent, with more than 80 companies mass-producing the dip. A decade ago, hummus netted $5 million a year in sales nationwide. Today, it's reached $143 million, according to some published reports.
While it still hasn't surpassed salsa, mustard or mayo as a mainstream condiment, it is making strides. That's due in part to Americans who've adopted the heart-healthier "Mediterranean diet" that is fish-, olive oil- and vegetable-based.
But credit also goes to restaurants and to TV chefs who have made exotic ingredients more mainstream to American palates.
Hummus' diversity as a dip alternative to fattening sour cream, or as a mayo alternative in sandwiches, as well as other uses, has made it more and more popular.
"It's hummus by name but it provides many more healthy applications that suit almost any consumer's needs and wants," said Katz.
Nutritionists say hummus is a healthy food for many reasons, not the least of which is its main ingredient, chickpeas or garbanzo beans, a good source of fiber. It also incorporates olive oil, a healthy monounsaturated fat.
It's low in calories, too.
Two tablespoons of typical store-bought hummus are about 45 calories, with about 2 to 4 grams of fat (some of it saturated fat, due to the tahini) and zero cholesterol.
Bobbi's, made without tahini, has 65 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.
Made in Philadelphia
At Bobbi's factory, 10 workers hand-peel garlic bulbs, wash chickpeas and add just a few other ingredients to make the hummus. They churn out about 500 cases of either 8- or 12-ounce containers a day.
The hummus varies from standard store-bought versions such as Tribe or Marzetti because it doesn't use tahini, the sesame paste that is a key ingredient to most hummus (along with lemon, garlic and chickpeas).
Katz isn't divulging Bobbi's details. He does say the garlic is key and that he doesn't use precut or fake garlic flavor.
"Prepeeled garlic is for chefs, and we don't like artificial garlic flavor."
Consumers seem to be addicted to the taste.
A survey of a few markets where it's sold - including Whole Foods, the Market of Lafayette Hill on Germantown Pike and Downtown Cheese at the Ardmore Farmer's Market - found that tubs fly off the shelves.
"To be honest, I think it's the best that's out there," said Market of Lafayette Hill manager Dan Belfield. "I've been carrying it for eight to 10 months now and sales keep going up."
Bobbi's comes in eight flavors, including traditional garlic, extra garlic, roasted red pepper and lemon dill. This fall will see the debut of a line of pita dips, which are more like spreads. They will be all-natural, gluten-free and dairy-free to target allergy-conscious consumers.
"We'll be hiring about 10 people a month with a total of two facilities at 5th and 6th and Spring Garden," said Katz. "We're looking to take Bobbi's from boutique to a real player, store by store." *
E-mail April Lisante at