The Mother May I Story – Chickpea Edition

The word hummus means chickpea in Arabic, حُمُّص. The dish hummus brings much culture and tradition to the table. Dating back to the 13th century, hummus has its earliest traces in Egypt. Today, it has become a staple in homes across the globe. The traditional hummus dish is filled with feel-good vitamins and a powerhouse of proteins and fibers. Its smooth texture, fresh flavors, and incredibly rich nutrient make it so popular. There is history in every bite, leaving you completely satisfied. And that is why it is the most saturated SKU in grocery stores.

Mother May I was founded in 2017 in Calgary, Alberta. The journey began years ago on a simple run to the grocery store.  ‘I went to pick up some fresh hummus, such a simple thing’. After reading through too many ingredients, the search was unsuccessful. Traditionally, hummus is made of very few fresh ingredients. The simple, quality ingredients are precisely measured and combined to create optimal flavor. ‘So that’s what I did’.  She reached deep into her roots and made her first batch of hummus. With much passion and determination behind her recipes, Mother May i was born. ‘When you are making food for your loved ones, the pallet is naturally aroused, craving only the finest of foods.’ The first batch of hummus was shared among her children. The second batch among neighbors and friends. And the next batch shortly after was shared among grocers Alberta-wide. 

Taking over the nation one chickpea at a time, Mother May I’s wholesome hummus dishes are proudly packed with no preservatives, no fillers, just real ingredients. And that makes all the difference. This woman-owned company stems from the love of her children and nutritious foods that help them grow.

• How did you bring this Middle Eastern dish to Canada?

I wish I could take credit for introducing this dish to the world, especially Canada. But I did not. The dish is so versatile, it really did it on its own. Hummus has caught a trend world wide because of it’s unique characteristics and it hits so many diets. The hummus we’ve brought to market continues to carry these properties, using a unique recipe created many traditions ago. We’ve adjusted it to our pallet, kept the ingredients high quality, and added a colorful line of modern flavors – all that share the same properties, the ones consumers rely on. This ah-mazing cultural food hits the vegan category, health and wellness, gluten-free (Celiac friendly), high in protein, and an all around good for you food. Afterall, it’s the powerhouse in nutrition.

• Give us your competitive edge?

Local. Why I pride myself so much on local is because Mother May I Hummus is the only Alberta made hummus on the shelves of the big grocers. That’s a big dill – says the dill pickle hummus. Overall, hummus is known as a very good-for-you dish, high in protein, fiber and more. If you haven’t tried the beet flavor, it is a MUST. The beets are sourced from local farmers, supporting agriculture in our local economy. The labels are designed supporting local artists, the marketing supports local businesses, and it’s all around a truly local product. Also, Mother May I Hummus is OIL-FREE! Why is that a big dill? Because competing brands started using canola oils and lower-quality oils for mass production. This affects not only the taste but the texture of hummus. Olive oil is the traditional oil that should be used, but as of recently, we’ve removed ALL oils. We are the only oil-free hummus! And still keeping our vegan, gluten-free, ah-mazing qualities in our hummus line up. Fun fact, the Canadian provinces have the richest soils and the best ground for growing chickpeas. We are VERY picky with our ingredients, we know good food. With only 6 ingredients in our classic flavor, we need to make sure each ingredient does exactly what it’s supposed to. Quality, flavor and consistency. If just one ingredient is off, the entire batch is ruined. That’s how important each ingredient is.

• Do you offer different SKUs?

Absolutely. Let’s have some fun with this…

‘Hello. We have met before. I’ve bumped into you at the grocery store. Or your kid’s hockey game. Or just walking down the street. I’ve probably shared some hummus with you. Or asked what you ate for lunch. I’m Mother May I, your local hummus girl. I love food, a true foodie at heart. And it’s been a dream bringing my favorite dish to the market. It’s only possible because of all the community love and support you all provide, so thank you! With much hustle, my dream slowly (but strongly) turned into Alberta’s largest hummus manufacturer. The biggest blessing I have is raising my 4 kids in a world where I’ve brought 4 (no coincidence here) flavors of hummus to market. Simple math. The Pickle is to dill for, but don’t drop the Beet for it. You can keep it Classic, or  Spicy it up! So let’s spread the hummus love, one chickpea at a time. If you’ve ever wondered what an impact supporting local makes, it’s why I’m here!’

• Mother May I, some fun facts:

Horoscope: Libra. I’m your typical Libra that follows the horoscope description. If you know the traits a Libra portrays, you’ll learn I’m far from typical.

Favorite Book: Harry Potter. Fun foodie fact, I really enjoyed Harry Potter and the foods that were created in the book. If you notice, none of the typical American foods are in there like pizza, hamburgers etc. The author took a fun spin on the food menu created in the book and I find the coolest part is some of the food items are available worldwide, like Butter Beer. Imagine creating a food for a story and it’s actually been made? Surreal.

Favorite Hummus Flavor: Spicy. I’ve created a lot of hummus flavors, even ventured out to the dessert hummus category. But my happy place is in the Spicy Sriracha flavor. It’s packed with the perfect amount of heat, infused with the finest chillies and peppers and has the smooth creaminess that you love, all intensified with a kick of spice. I can eat a tub a sitting #noshame

Favorite way to eat hummus: Ready for this? Pizza crust. Pizza crust is a love or hate. When the kids don’t eat the crust, I happily take it and dip it into a tub of my favorite hummus.  On another note, someone should create uncrustable pizza…

Favorite Quote to go by:

It would be Mother Teresa: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family” Everything I do comes out of love, and my children are very involved in all we do on the business end and the home front end. Love the balance of both worlds.

Another favorite:

‘The human body is made up of over 60% water. So we’re all basically cucumbers with anxiety, and we pair perfectly with hummus’

• Mother May I has two websites linked, which one do you use?

Mother May I Bake (www.mothermayibake.com) was initially launched when I started food blogging. That blog kept strong, colorful and fun. All my favorite recipes are on there and it showcases the family/small business aspect of my life.

As the business grew and we introduced Mother May I hummus to market, www.mothermayidip.com grew live and is now the official business website for my hummus line.

• How can we support Mother May I?

Keep doing what you’re doing. Find us on social media, @mothermayihummus

Share your reviews. Look for us at your grocery stores. Ask for it, even when you see it. Tell a friend. It helps create a buzz. Local retailers including Sobeys stores, Safeway stores, Co-op stores, Italian Centres and more proudly stock our entire line up of vegan dips. And always working on big ways to spread the hummus love. Visit www.mothermayidip.com for a full list of stores. Browse www.mothermayibake.com for fun, colorful recipes. You can purchase my eBook here:

https://mothermayibake.com/product/summer-bbq-guide-ebook/

We’re working on big things behind the scenes so you’ll be seeing us in more places soon. Big things are happening in the hummus world! And we are a tahini bit excited to be part of it.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for dipping in! Follow @mothermayihummus to keep up on our journey. Let’s spread the hummus love together!

***no chickpeas were harmed in the publication of this article***