Tahini 101: How to Buy, Store, and Eat Tahini

Certain flavors are so distinctive, they never fail to evoke a region or cuisine. The southern United States use smoked ham hocks to flavor everything from beans to soups to greens. Italians are known for their love of basil – Caprese salad and thick pestos are immediately identifiable as coming from Italy. And in the Middle East, we find tahini.

Tahini has been made around the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa for centuries, and many cultures and countries in the Middle East use it as we do salt and pepper – it is a flavoring agent found on the table for every meal.

Tahini is a thick paste made from sesame seeds. Yum! Photo by Meredith

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a thick paste made from sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are very high in oil – it makes up about half their weight. A primary ingredient in traditional Middle Eastern hummus, tahini is used as a flavoring agent and thickener for sauces and dressings. It can even be baked into desserts. Basically, it’s the Middle Eastern answer to peanut butter.

Tahini ranges in color from lightly sandy to deep brown. The lighter styles are made from hullless sesame seeds that are crushed and may be roasted or raw. Roasted versions are a bit darker and stronger in flavor than those made with unroasted seeds. Very dark varieties, often found sold in blocks, incorporates sesame seeds with the hull on. These can be quite textured and gritty, and have a strong, toasted flavor that some people find a bit bitter.

How to Buy and Store Tahini

Yottam Ottolenghi, the popular UK Chef and advocate for Israeli cuisine, prefers Lebanese, Palestinian, or Israeli brands of tahini, which he feels are lighter and flavorsome, and avoids pastes that are made from more northern regions like Greece and Cyrus. Once opened, you may have to vigorously stir the oil back into the sesame paste. Store the can in your fridge to prevent spoiling. Tahini keeps for many months, but the oils will go rancid over time. As with all food, the nose knows – taste and see if it’s to your liking before incorporating it into a recipe.

How to Use Tahini

Tahini is most widely used as the main ingredient (behind chickpeas) in traditional hummus, giving a notable and appealing nutty flavor to this Middle Eastern staple. You can also add a spoonful to pureed carrots or beets for a vegetable hummus that is lovely to look at and tastes great – an excellent option for a party appetizer.

You may also use tahini as a savory sauce by thinning with water and adding lemon juice and chopped garlic for flavor. This condiment can be used on anything from roasted vegetables to grilled meats.

Chef John’s Tahini

Tahini also makes an excellent vinaigrette ingredient – its thick texture gives the illusion of a cream-based dressing for salads and dipping vegetables. Try adding some to your favorite dressing recipe, or add some soy sauce or vinegar to tahini as a vinaigrette base. You can even use it to make barbecue sauce.

Tahini Vinaigrette Dressing

Photo by Crikkitt

Tahini makes a delicious dip. Photo by Meredith

For a healthy sweet ending to meals, sweetened tahini can also be drizzled over a fresh fruit platter. Blend it with a spoonful of honey or maple syrup and thin with water until the consistency is to your liking. In cakes and cookies, it can also be used in place of peanut butter or any other nut butter. Swirl some into your brownies or try making cookies.

Fast and Easy Israeli Tahini Cookies

Photo by Pamela Taylor

Tahini Nutrition

Tahini has many of sesame’s nutritional values intact. Because it’s made from a seed that is high in oil, it offers essential fatty acids and is high in calcium, making it an excellent nutritional source for anyone avoiding dairy. Tahini also contains protein, which is both good for you and satiating.

Tahini Substitute

Have a recipe that calls for tahini, but none in the fridge? No worry. Since it is essentially a paste made from seeds, most nut butters can be used in a pinch – just make sure you are opting for an unsweetened jar. Try a spoon of smooth peanut butter, cashew butter, or my favorite, sunflower seed butter, which closely mimics the flavor found in tahini. You can also add a few drops of sesame oil, which will add a similar flavor but won’t help with consistency and texture, so it’s best when used in conjunction with a mild nut butter such as cashew butter.

---

Browse our hummus recipes.

---

Follow me to more cooking inspiration and how-tos.

---

 

The post Tahini 101: How to Buy, Store, and Eat Tahini appeared first on Allrecipes Dish.

from Allrecipes Dish