Whose Holy Land Hummus?

The Times has a story about foods in America that focuses on a product line called Holy Land Hummus from Minneapolis, "Hummus Catches On in America (as Long as It’s Flavored)."

I don't know but "Vatican City Pasta" wouldn't sound right to us if someone came up with that sort of product.

Holy Land Hummus doesn't sound right to us either for these reasons: (1) because it exploits religion to sell common foods and (2) because the Holy Land that they refer to is not a Jewish or Christian Holy Land, it is the Muslim one, identified by a logo with the Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, and a declaration that the product is Halal, adhering to Islamic dietary rules. (NB: We don't see any Kosher certification on the product images.)

The Times thinks that it is just so cool that this Arab owned company is making a success at flavored Hummus. We don't disagree. Just realize that the company injects religion and politics into our marketplace in blatant in-your-face ways invoking the Islamic Holy Land and the Dome of the Rock, the Mosque of Omar, to sell its vegetable dip.

That's definitely not cool.

[Hat tip to Yitz]