I set out on a mission, and when I began, I had no idea how difficult it would be. Trying to decide which restaurant sells the best hummus in Columbia should be an easy task. Just decide which one tastes the best, right? Wrong. Who would have thought that a food that is made out of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), tahini (ground up sesame seeds), and olive oil could have such a wide variety of tastes? All of the ingredients are incredibly bland. Turns out, finding the perfect hummus recipe is an art, and one that many restaurants throughout Columbia take a lot of pride.

Most hummus recipes include various amounts of garlic and lemon juice. Sometimes it is garnished with parsley, paprika, olive oil or other spices. Usually it is served with warm pita bread, but it is also commonly served as a dip for vegetables or chips or as a spread on sandwiches. It is considered a complete source of protein, making it a popular choice for vegetarians and vegans. The dish originated in the Middle East where both chickpeas and sesame seeds are commonly harvested. Hummus has been served for over 10,000 years.

I sampled the hummus from Arris’ Pizza, the Broadway Brewery, Felini, Coffee Zone, and the International Café. I wanted to sample from Café Berlin and Casablanca as well, but both restaurants were closed because they were moving locations when I set forth on my journey. I was surprised by how very different each hummus was from the others.

The first hummus that I tried was from Arris’ Pizza. Arris’ Pizza is a pizza joint with Greek heritage. They originated in Jefferson City, and have expanded with locations throughout Mid-Missouri. They offer a variety of pizzas, pasta dinners, sandwiches, Greek food, salads and appetizers. Their hummus costs $6.25 for an appetizer and is served with Greek olives. It’s pinkish in color, which I attribute to roasted tomato, and is quite tangy. The lemon in it is quite prominent. It is also very creamy.

Broadway Brewery’s hummus is quite different than any of the others that I tried. It is not sweet at all, and is blended with basil pesto and feta. It is quite a bit dryer and thicker than the others. It costs $6.25 for an appetizer size and is served with pita bread.

Felini is the most formal of the restaurants that I went to. Their food tends to be a bit pricier and the atmosphere is much less casual. Their hummus costs $6.99 for an appetizer size. It is very creamy and the garlic tastes are prominent but not overwhelming. There is also a hint of parmesan cheese.

Coffee Zone takes a lot of pride in their hummus, especially considering they are a coffee shop and not specifically a Mediterranean restaurant. They even have an article displayed proudly behind the barista bar claiming that they have the best hummus in Columbia. When I entered the coffee shop and expressed interest in ordering some hummus, a customer even commented to me about how fantastic the hummus is. Their hummus is $4.95 for an appetizer, and is served with pita bread and garnished with olive oil, parsley and paprika. The presentation is quite attractive. The taste is more complex that the others. It has more of an herby taste, and isn’t very sweet. It is very creamy, but perhaps not thick enough.

The International Café is a small Mediterranean foods restaurant that sells affordable hummus, falafel, gyros and other Middle Eastern favorites. Their hummus is $4.25 for an appetizer and is served with pita bread and topped with tomatoes and onions. It is very creamy and doesn’t have any prominent flavors. It’s not bland, but not particularly lemony, garlicky, or herby.

So, which of these hummus is better than all the rest? That is a very difficult decision. I would say for taste, my favorite was probably Felini, but I would also be less likely to go there for hummus because of their more formal atmosphere and higher prices. I would be more likely to go to the Coffee Zone or the International Café and grab some of theirs because they were the two cheapest, and had the highest price to tastiness ratios. All of the hummus that I tried were delicious and unique in their own ways.