Humble Beginnings

Big Dreams

Our founder, Hannah Awada, didn’t start Hummus Goodness in the United States. Nope. The story actually begins on the other side of the world—in Shanghai, China. Yep, you read that right. SHANGHAI!

From Dumpling Night to Hummus House:

The Shanghai Chapter

In May of 2017, Hannah was invited to her neighbor’s going-away party. On the agenda: a dumpling-making class with women from all over the world. Naturally, a pre-snack was in order, so Hannah offered to bring some hummus. She made two flavors—Classic and Kale-Basil Pesto (the pesto idea came from a friend who had just gifted her a huge box of kale). The hummus was devoured in minutes, and everyone wanted more.

From there, Hannah began making and selling hummus in Shanghai—over 30 flavors, from Olive Tapenade to an addictive Chocolate Coconut Hummus. Friends, neighbors, anyone who wanted it could get it. She called the business Hummus House—because, well, she was making it out of her house. Easy name!

Humble Beginnings

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Big Dreams

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Humble Beginnings 〰️ Big Dreams 〰️

The Infamous Porchetta Party Tray

Hummus House, Shanghai China 2017

How a Porchetta Party Sparked a

Hummus Revolution

Fast forward one year: Hannah and her family moved to Michigan—the Middle Eastern capital of the U.S., where hummus is everywhere. People asked if she’d launch a hummus brand in the States. Her answer? “Nope! Just go buy it at the store.” And that could’ve been the end of it. But it wasn’t.

One night, Hannah and her husband were invited to a Porchetta Party. Thinking it was a porch hangout (not an Italian pork feast), she brought a big platter of hummus. Once again, it was a hit. Guests couldn’t stop raving—and they challenged her: “Go to the store, try the hummus there, and see if it compares.”

So she did. She bought every brand she could find. And when she read the labels, she was stunned: Citric acid. Soybean oil. Sunflower oil. Potassium sorbate. As a Lebanese-American, she had never seen any of those ingredients in the hummus she grew up eating. And the taste? Disappointing.

Humble Beginnings

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Big Dreams

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Humble Beginnings 〰️ Big Dreams 〰️

To Hannah, authentic Lebanese-style hummus should be healthy, fresh, and made with real ingredients—olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. That day, she decided: if she was going to start a hummus company in the U.S., she was going to do it the right way- the way she grew up eating it.

She focused on clean-label, bold-flavored hummus, inspired by the creations she developed in China, made with ingredients that belong in your kitchen—not a lab.

On April 19, 2019, Hummus Goodness was born in a small church kitchen in Birmingham, Michigan. Hannah and the Hummus Goddess’s (including Lara Lozser, who became her business partner!) focused on clean-label, bold-flavored hummus, inspired by the creations she developed in China. Every flavor is made with ingredients that belong in your kitchen—not a lab.