With hummus consumption in America sky rocketing, it’s time to get to know its versatile relative, the tahini. Tahini, a paste of ground hulled sesame seeds, has been on the shelves of American supermarkets for decades, and was considered a hippie-health-food staple. Only problem was nobody really knew what to do with it.
Yes, you make hummus with tahini, and you can add it to a salad dressing, but there’s so much more.
The simplest way to start using the sesame paste would be adding a tablespoon of raw tahini to a bowl of Israeli salad that was already dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. You can drizzle raw tahini over tabbouleh as well.
Tahini and parsley dip is a basic Palestinian recipe that’s very popular in Israel. It is prepared by simply mixing fresh parsley, garlic, salt, lemon juice, water and tahini, sometimes with the addition of a tomato. And you serve it just as you would serve hummus. Dip a fresh warm pita into it and eat.
Check out the recipe links at the bottom of the page to give tahini a try. Also try these Palestinian recipe for beef kebabs in tahini sauce and tomato salsa and the classic roasted eggplant in tahini and lemon juice.
Baking with tahini makes moist, delicious pastries and you can see sweet tahini recipes right here.
There are many good reasons to add tahini to your diet. It is rich in vitamins and is an excellent source of calcium.
Choosing the right tahini is important, because not all tahini pastes are made equally. It’s completely individual and depends on your taste buds. To find if a certain tahini is right for you, simply try it raw. If it is tasty in its raw form, everything you’ll make with it will be tasty. If it’s bitter, it will stay bitter after cooking. My personal favorite from the variety available in the U.S. is Al Arz tahini, as well as Har Bracha Tahini. Both are kosher and available in kosher markets around the country as well as online.
But Al Arz Tahini online
Check out these recipes:
Cauliflower, Red Onion and Tahini Salad
Udon Noodles and Avocado in Japanese Style Tahini Sauce