Hummus used to be considered hippie food but over the past decade it has made it’s way into the mainstream. It’s a great alternative to those fatty cheese dips and sometimes tasteless salsas (or mind blowing hot ones). When we learned about Roots out of North Carolina, we were instant fans. Hey, how could we not when they call themselves ‘The Microbrew of Hummus’?
Founded in 2006 by brothers Matt and Lowell Parrish, Roots Hummus began as Roots Café, a well-loved breakfast and lunch spot in Asheville’s up and coming River Arts District. The café is now the official hummus-making kitchen where their dream team and chefs produce the high quality deliciousness. Each tub is filled with the freshest ingredients possible and their small-batch, preservative-free approach has gained them accolades in the food world.
While Roots believes in using the freshest ingredients available, they also break the mold with a wide range of exciting flavors such as Thai Coconut Curry (their chefs roast and grind their own curry and veggies and use unrefined coconut oil) and Lima Bean (mixed with parsley greens and cayenne to heat it up a bit). Each tub is packed with locally and domestically sourced, certified non-GMO ingredients.
As Matt explained to us, “With the hummus, like all of our creations, the primary interest has always been to make the absolute best tasting and feeling food we can possibly make. Integrity and pure ingredients are the foundation. Like music, food is a composition, and we attune to the parts of the vision to make the whole a balanced, nourishing, and enjoyable experience. There’s definitely been lots of trial and error, borrowed ideas and brainstorms.”
As for how they discovered their love for fresh ingredients, Parrish told us that, “Lowell and I have not always been in the food biz, but we have always had wholesome and fresh foods front and center in our lives. Starting from the foundation of a wonderful garden that our parents and we grew every year and from which lots of fresh delicious meals came.”
Then there is the Feel Good Friday aspect of Roots. In 2014, Roots funded $40,000 worth of school garden grants, salad bars, and food education programs through the Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods nonprofit organization whose mission is to help schools and children make educated nutritional choices. Also, $.10 from the sale of each tub of hummus goes directly to this foundation.
Roots has just launched its’ brand new Mango-Sriracha Hummus (a Whole Foods exclusive until October). It’s available widely throughout the Southeast and will be available soon in Southern California as well. And for you hearty hummus eaters, their new 16oz tubs just launched at Whole Foods in the Southeast. The flavors that are available in the larger size are Original, Black Bean, Chipotle, and Roasted Red Pepper. Hello family size!
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