Fields of Golden Chickpeas

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A Visit To Sabra Dipping Company

Here at we heart this, we’ve truly do heart hummus! And as ambassadors of Sabra Dipping Company we have been happy to spread our hummus love over the last year. And we’ve gotta say, this progressive company produces the best tasting hummus around.

Over the months we’ve discovered their hummus and dips are perfect for dipping and spreading on veggies, crackers, bread and straight from their distinctive red-rimmed containers. We also have used hummus in recipes – check out this Hummus Cornbread or try our Hummus & Chicken Hand Pies – and even hosted a hummus based dinner party.

So Stef and I were thrilled to be invited for an up close look at Sabra headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. From the farm fields to the factory line, Sabra opened up its doors to a select group of bloggers that form their Tastemakers panel. Sadly, just days before the event Stef broke both of her elbows (Ouch!) and was unable to attend.

Luckily, the entire Sabra family and this warm and inviting group of foodies were incredibly welcoming and made me feel right at home even without my BFF by my side. Let’s take a look at the lovely Richmond, Virginia, hometown of all things Sabra!

The first evening in Richmond I met up with Stephanie, the amazing and full of life Sabra rep and some fellow Sabra Tastemakers at Julep’s in downtown Richmond. The city was beautiful – full of old brick buildings, cobblestone streets and lush mature tress. Immediately feeling the old Southern charm I knew this meal would be memorable for both the food and the company!

We started off with a round of appetizers, including Fried Green Tomatoes, Shrimp and Grits and an Artisanal Cheese Plate, and got to know one another a little bit. The most interesting thing of all is that of six bloggers there, THREE fabulous ladies were named Heather!

Heather of Basil Mama
Heather of Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Heather of Farmgirl Gourmet

After I was introduced to the three Heathers I turned to the next blogger, a tall and handsome gentleman and blurted out “Please, tell me your name is Veronica!” (Please say you get the Heathers joke.) Nope, rounding out the group was:

Matt of Thyme in our Kitchen
and Fabi of Not Just Baked

We chatted about 80’s black comedy teen movies, food, travel, our families and of course, Sabra hummus over the course of a fantastic meal of modern Southern Cooking. My favorite dish of all was the Heirloom Tomato Salad with Watermelon and Avocado – perfectly ripe summer vegetables topped with a tasty white balsamic vinaigrette.

I was happy to see the Southern hospitality extended to vegetarian friends and thoroughly loved my dinner – Gnocchi with Fava Beans, Corn, Tomatoes and Home Made Buttermilk Ricotta. Sadly I didn’t think I had room for desert, but then the table side Bananas Foster showed up and how could I resist that?!

Early the next morning we all were off to the agricultural fields of Virginia State University. Chickpeas do not naturally grow in Virginia, in fact Sabra chickpeas are grown in the Pacific Northwest. But at VSU, Dr. Bhardwaj (that’s him hiding behind a bag of chickpeas!) and his students are working hard to produce different varieties to determine which will best thrive in the area.

Sabra believes it is best to get their ingredients from as local a source as possible. It just makes for better tasting dips and spreads. Their crops are also products of non GMO, pesticide free farming. And not only are they growing chickpeas, there is a plot of sesame as well. Did you know sesame is such a pretty little plant? Love the white bell flowers!

We got a look a fresh bushels of chickpeas…

…and tasted them fresh from the earth!

The students were super sweet and happy to answer our questions. They also presented us with gorgeous freshly picked Sunflowers.

I couldn’t help but notice one student’s very fierce wet weather boots!

After some time spent inspecting the fields and chatting with the Doctor and his students, we were off to the Sabra hummus headquarters.

I have to say, working with Sabra seems pretty fabulous. The corporate office is bright and inviting and every single employee I encountered had a genuine smile on their face. Meanwhile, the attached factory is LEED certified, (meaning it is as eco-friendly as you can get) and also filled with happy, smiling workers.

Centered between the reception area, the test kitchen and the administration offices is this cool faux-grass meeting room. How great would it be to spend some downtime here, brainstorming ideas? Employees also use the space to meditate, stretch and just relax.

We headed into the enormous test kitchen to meet with Chef MaryDawn Wright. Let me tell you, this lady know her hummus! MaryDawn walked us through the entire Sabra line…

…from their wide variety of hummus (that’s my favorite the Olive Tapenade)…

…to their fresh and spicy salsas…

….to cool and creamy yogurt dips…

…and delish Mediterranean salads.

As we ate lunch we learned about the quality control at Sabra. Each and every morning, the first thing MaryDawn does is check on the batches of hummus made the day before. She tests the scent, air pockets, density, “visual swirl” and of course, taste. And above it what a perfect, freshly open container of hummus should look like when scooped.

I also picked up a fun decor tip while eating – check out the base of this flower vase. More chickpeas! How fun.

One of my favorite parts was the tour of the factory. Sadly we were not allowed to take pictures inside, but it was fun to dress up in the protective gear and watch the entire process. We followed the path from raw chickpeas to chickpea paste and finally flavored hummus getting its proper label. And again, every employee on the line had a grin on their face and a happy wave. Remind me if I move to Virginia to get a job at Sabra!

After our tour we convened back in the conference room where we received a presentation from Farmgirl Gourmet Heather who is also the founder of Spiceologist. Heather discussed the joys of spicing up your food while we relaxed and painted pottery, a chip and dip platter to be exact.

I will be stalking the mailman while I wait for this – a Sabra themed Spice Block. I’ve coveted one of these babies ever since I saw the Kickstarter that helped get her business off the ground.

Then it was off to the airport and back to reality. I want to send a shout out to my fellow bloggers for making this trip so enjoyable – go check out their blogs for some foodie inspiration! And of course, thanks so much to a Sabra Dipping Company for sharing this amazing experience with us and the we heart this readers.

we heartsters – Are you a Sabra fan? Which hummus is your favorite?

photos: we heart this