We maybe tend to think of Inflation measures, such as the CPI, as cold, technical instruments, but far from it, deciding which products get into the basket shows how culture has shifted over the years.
Take hummus. It went from being a niche snack to earning the nickname “middle-class ketchup” in the UK. and when hummus joins the CPI basket, it’s more than a price update. It shines a light on how globalization, healthy eating trends, and class identity are shaping what people buy.
The Office for National Statistics updates the CPI basket every year to mirror what “people are spending their money on.”
But do they mean everyone? I mean how many members of the precariat NEED hummus?
But then again maybe hummus is a good choice.... even something as simple as chickpeas depends on international networks. Any disruption—political or economic—can mess with local prices for everyday items.
And maybe it's a good choice for Gen Z who really do NEED their hummus? And its inclusion in the CPI shows how those food habits have become part of identity and routine.
In the end, whatever gets included in the basket, we have to admit that CPI does not gives us some kind of pure, objective inflation data. CPI tries to boil down a messy, unfair economic reality into a single number, but people’s actual experiences vary wildly. The Bank of England admits it: what inflation means to a student isn't what it means to a pensioner or a city professional.
When new, “trendy” foods get added to the basket, CPI risks feeling out of touch with those worried about rent, utilities, or staples—places where prices jump and nobody notices. Hummus might be a must-have for some, but for others, it barely registers.
CPI tries to capture “the average experience,” but that’s a myth. People live different realities, and when chickpeas start feeling fancy, it makes you wonder: what does inflation really mean for people right now?
