Monterey Gourmet Foods Hummus

I don't often talk about foods that aren't specifically gluten-free.  Usually it's boring stuff like turkey or cheese (either you like turkey or cheese or you don't, right?)  But sometimes there is something that is technically or labeled GF that is so good (or so mediocre) it's worth mentioning.

I went to Down to Earth today on my way back from a very uneventful trip to Waikiki (I saw a beach!).  I guess I was under the impression that Ruffage Natural Foods would have more of a grocery selection than the few sad shelves of flours that they had.  Maybe I was missing something. 

Down to Earth is a vegetarian superstore (well, superstore if you're stocking it with only veg/vegan products) full of vegetarian, vegan, and organic foods (there's a Venn diagram to be made here, but you get the picture--no meat).  I am a meat-eater, but they don't exactly card you at the door or kick you out if you come direct from Burger King (kind of across the street) with Whopper on your breath.  They have an exciting variety of gluten-free foods.  I spend too much money there.

I was in there today just hoping to buy some bits and pieces to eat.  I have a rule right now that I don't buy anything that isn't an accessory to another food, because I have too much food right now and need to eat it all.  I get food-bored easily and need a variety of things around me, you see.  So I have a tendency to just buy and buy and buy, and I need to stop. 

Anyway, at home I have crackers that just weren't very good with cheese.  But they're onion crackers, so they aren't good with peanut butter either (in theory).  I needed to eat them with SOMETHING.  I spotted a variety of flavors of hummus in the fridge section (with the cheeses and soy cheese products and tofurkey and so on).  They all sounded pretty good, but given my love of Mexican food, I went with the smoked jalapeno and garlic flavor.

I took it home and tried it with my weird crackers.  Wowwww.  It was like a magical Mexican bean dip with the cheese already in it.  It's kind of amazing, since there is nothing cheese-like even in the hummus, but it somehow tastes as though there is.  The texture is very smooth (like whipped frosting?  That's a bad comparison) and the jalapeno is mild enough to leave a very slight burn on the back of your tongue that you didn't notice while eating.

The price wasn't so bad.  I think it was around $4.  And the top of the tub labels it as gluten-free.  I don't know if I just enjoy this flavor too much to want to try another flavor, but it may happen in the future.