“What type of tahini do you use?” is a question I hear all the time. And I have a good answer.
Same goes for olive oil, za’atar, pomegranate molasses and halva.
My full list is here now.
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Tahini – is essential for the Levantine cuisine, as well as Turkey and Greece, and is loved by Israelis. Not only do they use it in their favorite dip, hummus, they make an easy tahini dip at home for dinner and use it to make tahini cookies, drizzle on ice cream, etc.
So a good tahini is a must in every kitchen that’s interested in the Middle Eastern cuisine or want to experiment with a healthy ingredient of many possibilities.
My favorite is Al Arz tahini, from a small Palestinian family factory in Nazareth. The way to know if a tahini is a good one, it should be tasty raw (straight from the jar, without adding water and lemon juice). When it is good, it will almost be sweet, with no traces of bitterness. Al Arz does all that and more.
Al Arz tahini is available at some Israeli and Kosher supermarkets in the U.S. and also on Amazon.
Also try their whole sesame version
Al Arz tahini variety pack on Amazon
There’s an endless debate between Israeli tahini lovers between Al Arz and Har Bracha tahini. My choice is above, but Har Bracha is pretty amazing too. Give it a try and decide for yourself.
Preserved lemons – are best homemade, but when you’re short in time, here are a couple of very good options.
Pereg Pickled Lemon is available at some Israeli and kosher supermarkets in the U.S., but unfortunately, not online (it’s a chilled product.) Look it up in your local Kosher store.
Date syrup or molasses – known in Israel as silan or date honey, this favorite ingredient was popular originally among Iraqi Jews. What you’re looking for in a good date syrup is having dates as the only ingredient. I use it in as a marinade in this chicken dish, for example.
Date syrup is available in the U.S. in most kosher supermarkets, as well as Middle Eastern supermarkets.
Some good brands are:
Galilee’s Delicacy Pure Date Honey
Date spread – This useful spread is great for making stuffed cookies such as ma’amoul, rolled cooking and even babka (use date spread instead of Nutella, and add chopped walnuts as well.) It’s available at Israeli and Kosher supermarkets.
Pressed dates – are great for cakes, like this wonderful one. I always keep a couple of packages at home, as they keep forever.
Spices
Mahlab – one of my favorite secret ingredients, mahlab is made our of ground pits of the St. Lucie’s cherry. It is used all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean to add sweet umami-aroma that’s hard to describe to any baked good. Add it to your Hanukkah doughnuts, Shabbat babka, any cookie recipe, loaf cakes and pancakes. I can’t recommend enough.
Ziyad Shaker Gourmet Ground Mahlab
Za’atar – is a Levantine herb (hyssop) from the thyme family, that is used in the za’atar spice mix. The mix usually include the za’atar dried herb, sumac, sesame and salt. As it became more popular in the U.S., I started seeing it at health food supermarkets. But I would recommend going to your local Middle Eastern store, or a kosher supermarket, to find the really good and authentic ones.
Pereg Gourmet, Seasoning Zahtar
Sumac – is a spice that comes from the sumac berry and is popular around the Middle East. It adds a sour taste and crunchiness, as well as its beautiful red color, to salads and other dishes. It’s available at Middle Eastern supermarkets, some Israeli supermarkets and online.
Dried Persian lime – adds sweet-sour aroma to Persian stews, an essential ingredient in the Iranian cuisine.
Mastic or mastika – is the dry resin of the mastic trees that lend a gentle cedar or pine tree aroma and almost a chewing gum like texture (the Hebrew word for chewing gum is “mastic”.) I like to add ground mastic to jams.
Fenugreek – comes in a form of dried leaves or seeds and is popular in the Georgian cuisine, like this kidney bean dish, Middle Eastern cuisine, in baking and stews, Indian cuisine and the Yemenites use fenugreek tomake a dip or relish called hilbah.
Dried sweet red pepper (or bell pepper) – are the main ingredient in a real harissa dip. Make sure they do not contain the seeds, as those will make the harissa bitter.
Heirloom beans – make all the difference when you cook a pot of beans, or an the overnight Shabbat stew cholent. One great option for making sure that the beans you’re using are fresh and full of flavors is buying it from specialty vendors, many of whom grow the beans themselves, like Rancho Gordo.
Artichoke bottoms – are wonderful for many dishes, but unfortunately are hard to get. they’re available in most Middle Eastern grocery stores in the freezer, and that would be the best option. But they’re also available canned, and their flavor is still really good and the texture is firm, so don’t hesitate to use the canned option to make these quick stuffed artichoke.
Roland Foods Medium Artichoke Bottoms
Cooking dishes
Jachnoon pot – is a simple aluminum pot used to make the shabbat overnight pastry called jachnoon (or jachnun) from the Yemeni cuisine, as well as the Yemeni kubaneh bread. I like to use it for baking the overnight Jerusalem kugel too. It is a very simple dish made out of aluminum with a tight lid, and it is sold less than $10 in Israel. but if you’re not planning on going any time soon, here’s your best option:
Ma’amoul mold – helps you create these beautiful cookies without much effort. There are different shapes for the different fillings of this classic cookie, and these days you can find both the classic wooden carved molds or plastic ones. Here are a couple of options.
