Hannah Awada did not start Hummus Goodness in the United States. Nope. Actually our origins began as Hummus House on the other side of the world in Shanghai, China. Yep- you read that right. SHANGHAI!

Here’s how it all happened….

In May of 2017, Hannah was invited to her neighbor’s going away party. On the agenda was a dumpling making class with several women from all over the world but of course they needed a pre-snack so Hannah offered to bring hummus to nibble on. She brought 2 flavors- Classic Hummus and Kale-Basil Pesto (why Kale-Basil Pesto- because her friend had just dropped off a huge box of kale!)… The hummus was DEVOURED in minutes and everyone wanted more! Hannah started selling hummus in over 30 different flavors from Kale-Basil Pesto to Olive Tapenade and an addictive Chocolate Coconut Hummus to neighbors, to friends and anyone who wanted hummus all over Shanghai. That business was called Hummus House (why? Because Hannah sold the hummus out of her house! Easy name!)

Fast forward to 1 year later, Hannah and her family moved to Michigan- the Middle Eastern capital of the United States where there is definitely no shortage of hummus. Asked if she would start a hummus company in the US and she said Nope! Go buy it at any store. So this is where you would expect the story to end, but actually this is where the story begins…

Hannah and her husband were invited to a party- to be precise it was a Porchetta Party (this point is very important). What did she bring to the party? You guessed right- salsa! No, we’re kidding- she brought hummus! According to Hannah…

We pulled up to this party expecting it to be on the porch hence the name Porchetta Party. But there was no porch at all. I was totally confused but happy to be invited to a party in my new city. I went inside with a beautiful platter of hummus and everyone loved it. They told me- you have to sell this. They even challenged me to go to the store and try the store-bought hummus. (The Porchetta Party was actually an Italian Pork Party and I do not eat pork…. had I know I probably would not have gone and Hummus Goodness wouldn’t be here today!)

After the party Hannah went to the store and bought hummus…a lot of hummus in every brand she could find. She inspected the ingredients- CITRIC ACID! SOYBEAN OIL! SUNFLOWER OIL! POTASSIUM SORBATE! As a Lebanese-American, Hannah grew up on hummus and her mom never put those ingredients in her hummus. Then came time for the taste testing and oh my was she disappointed! Hummus is supposed to be HEALTHY, FRESH and made with OLIVE OIL, LEMON JUICE AND GARLIC. None of the hummus she bought that day even closely resembled what she grew up on!

If Hannah was going to start a hummus company she was going to do it the right way. Focusing on clean, healthy ingredients that actually belong in hummus. Not only clean-label but really bold and robust flavors inspired by the flavors she developed in China.

On April 19, 2019 Hummus Goodness was started in small church kitchen in Birmingham, Michigan. Initially she sold directly to consumers, but quickly pivoted to grocery stores in order to keep up with the demand. Hummus Goodness has since outgrown that church kitchen, but we are so proud to stay true to our commitment to ingredient transparency and flavors that live up to their names.

We believe in ingredient transparency. You won’t find any ambiguous words like natural flavors, artificial flavors or coloring. Those ingredients have no business in real hummus! We roast garlic and beets in house and dice and caramelize red onions every week. Doing everything from scratch means you get a fresher and tastier, process-free hummus! That’s what sets Hummus Goodness apart from the rest. And that’s what you should expect in your hummus.

Hannah Awada, founder and creator of Hummus Goodness, has a true passion for hummus that began when she lived in Shanghai, China. There, she started Hummus House, selling fresh hummus with a delicious twist. She created over 20 different flavors from Kale-Basil Pesto to Olive Tapenade and an addictive Chocolate Coconut Hummus. Less than a year later, Hannah moved to Michigan and was hesitant to continue her business here. The store-bought hummus world is saturated!

But after friends and family tried her hummus (and fell in love with it), she was encouraged to restart the business as Hummus Goodness. Today, the recipes are even better, the ingredients are still of the highest quality and of course each container is made with love and passion!