Ithaca Hummus

by Connie Le

The Ithaca Farmers Market, filled with vibrant and diverse vendors selling everything from fresh honeycomb to hand painted pottery, is a beloved attraction for foodies and tourists in our own college town. It is also where Chris Kirby and his team sold their first cups of fresh hummus, focusing on flavors such as lemon and dill, lemon and garlic, and smoked chipotle. Kirby’s healthy snacking alternative found its way from its little stall at the Market into other Cornell spots in 2013 like Collegetown Bagels, GreenStar, and the Ithaca Bakery. But this is no longer a local brand tucked away in various Ithacan shops. Now, Kirby’s amazing and delicious flavors can be found in major grocery stores across the country. Indeed, the nation-renowned Ithaca Hummus brand, which has sold thousands of tubs of garbanzo bean goodness, started right here in our little college town.

Kirby began his journey in Rhode Island at Johnson and Wales University, where he earned his culinary degree. After working in the food industry, he then travelled to Ithaca to earn his bachelor’s degree in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell. His passion to grow his hummus company led him to study the business aspects of the culinary industry while he perfected his recipes. From those first cups at the local Market, Kirby has built a successful and healthy snacking brand that can be bought from shelves in every corner of the country.

Although I had always passed by the vivid Ithaca Hummus tubs in our local Wegmans, a friend studying at Wake Forest University first recommended that I try their lemon beet variety. His enthusiasm for the brand and excitement that it had begun at Cornell convinced me to finally stop in front of the dip sections of the grocery store and pick up my first batch of the once-local dip.

As I opened the packaging, the brilliant red of the hummus struck me first, which was quickly joined by a beautiful yet subtle smell of lemon.

Its creaminess and slightly tart flavor immediately entranced me, and I spent the next few days spreading it on every cracker, bread, and sandwich that I could get my hands on. After I had scraped every corner of the tub for the last bits of deliciousness, it took little persuasion to try the brand’s other flavors. I brought the zesty lemon and dill flavor to charcuterie lunches and shared the roasted red pepper variety with friends, who all vehemently agreed with me. Chris Kirby’s hard work in the early 2010s led me to my newest food obsession, and although I was not around to support his journey at that first booth at the Market, I feel proud to support his creation that started just a few blocks away from my college apartment.