Thank you, Lantana Foods, for inviting me out to try your delicious hummus! While I did receive some complimentary treats (from Lantana Foods and other companies), all opinions are my own. Now, let’s get to it!
May’s Austin Food Blogger’s Association happy hour was a unique one! We met at Lantana Foods‘ offices on South Congress. They invited three other companies – Mighty Swell, Rays Spirits, and Siete – to showcase some of the products alongside Lantana Hummus. The set up was at “The White Hat” airstream park (check it out on Airbnb!). It was so cute! Although I did get 8 mosquito bites…
I’m already a hummus fan and I really liked Lantana Hummus a lot. Their hummus is different because it is made with white beans and lentils, not chickpeas. I’d never heard of hummus that wasn’t chickpeas! Apparently, chickpeas have a bold flavor, while white beans are more of a blank canvas. Their neutral flavor makes them much better for mixing flavors, especially the sweet ones. My favorite hummus that I tried was their edamame hummus. It was so tasty and smooth!
Lantana Foods set out a food spread with different appetizers made with their hummus. We had meatballs dipped in their sriracha carrot hummus, tacos filled with black bean hummus, and small bread bites topped with white bean hummus. I wasn’t a fan of the black bean hummus tacos… I was very aware I wasn’t eating actual beans. I’ll stick to just dipping my veggies 🙂
One of the coolest parts of the night was getting to participate in their focus group. They are testing out four new, sweet hummus flavors – cherry, strawberry, mango, and blueberry. I expected to like the cherry the best, but I actually really enjoyed the blueberry! I hope a store picks up some of these sweet flavors. I can’t wait to buy that blueberry hummus.
Rays Spirits was there with their 34 proof spirit in lemon, lime, and blood orange. It’s more tangy than sweet. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, so this was right up my alley. The drink is pretty versatile. It can be used as a mixer or on its own. You can mix it with some beer to make a nice shandy, or pour yourself a small glass over ice. The one I drank was lemon mixed with Topo Chico and it was SO good. You know you love Topo Chico. I liked this drink because it’s something you can sip on by the pool without worrying about going overboard, especially if it’s mixed (unlike a hard alcohol mixed drink). Rays Spirits are available at H-E-B and Central Market in the “mixers” aisle.
And now my new favorite drink – Mighty Swell. They’re a wine spritzer (like carbonated wine) with only 4 grams of sugar and 120 calories. They’re also gluten-free if that’s something that’s important to you. They’ve had a slight flavor adjustment recently, which creates a more consistent taste across their different flavors. The fact that they’re in a can is also nice – way more outdoor party friendly.
Siete has the most amazing origin story. They make grain-free Mexican-American food products. Currently, their company employs seven (siete) family members who work full time. It all began with a diet change. Veronica, one of the sisters, was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases when she was younger and so the whole family adopted a low-inflammation, grain-free diet as a way to help Veronica live a more comfortable life. They started making their own grain-free tortillas and the brand has expanded from there. Siete is currently based in and manufactured out of Austin. These chips are delicious and although I am not grain-free, I’m choosing to buy these tortilla chips. They’re that good! Be on the lookout for hot sauces to join their tortillas and tortilla chips soon!
Thank you, Lantana Hummus for putting together such a fun outdoor event for us bloggers! I discovered some really delicious, new brands. Best of luck to you at the upcoming trade show – someone HAS to buy your sweet hummus flavors!
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