Woman shares recipe for homemade tahini and all the ways it can be used that aren't hummus (2024)

FAQs

What is tahini used for? ›

This savory condiment is a staple across the globe, originating in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It's also found in Asian dishes and Greek fare. Tahini can be used as a spread, a dip, a dressing, and serves as a key ingredient in many dishes, including hummus and baba ghanoush.

You bet! In fact, tahini is one of hummus' main ingredients, along with chickpeas and olive oil. That's why our favorite dip can be so rich and delicious—in hummus, tahini adds smoothness to the texture, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

How Does Tahini Taste? Tahini has a very earthy flavor and is slightly bitter, but not overpowering. Although the spread resembles peanut butter and other nut butters, it does not have a similarly sweet flavor profile. The toasted sesame seed flavor shines through in this creamy, rich ingredient.

Some people find tahini to have bitter undertones, so using sesame oil is a good alternative for giving hummus a silky texture and subtle sesame flavor. Because this is a super quick recipe, have all the ingredients measured and the chickpeas ready before processing them with the rest of the ingredients.

We recommend storing your tahini in a cool and dry area, away from heat and moisture. Ideally, a pantry a cabinet would be ideal. Like peanut butter, you can also store tahini in the refrigerator if you like it thicker.

Tahini contains compounds that may help protect your liver and kidneys from damage. These organs are responsible for removing toxins and waste from your body ( 41 ).

Tahini is like the cool older cousin of your favorite nut butters. With a more subtle nutty flavor, it can be eaten straight from the jar, mixed with chickpeas for a classic homemade hummus, or poured into batter for a sweet treat.

They will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days. Store bought, ready made tahini sauces or dips are usually made with preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers or chemicals helping it last longer. SoCo says: How tahini is stored depends on how it's prepared, and what tahini consistency you prefer.

Though its name sounds similar to the Middle Eastern condiment tahini, Tajín has little in common with the sesame paste, and in fact was named after an archeological site where its founder learned the Nahuatl word for chile, Aji.

What cuts the bitterness of tahini? ›

If you prefer a brighter sauce, add more lemon. If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey.

As I said earlier, tahini has a mildly bitter flavour, so if your hummus is bitter, you've most likely added too much tahini. Also make sure that the tahini you do have is hulled, as opposed to unhulled. Hulled tahini just means that the bitter husks on the outside of the sesame seed have been removed before blending.

For a unique, lower sugar twist on traditional peanut butter cookies, replace half the peanut butter with tahini! Put a spin on a classic peanut butter cup by replacing half the peanut butter with tahini. Each bite will greet you with a chocolaty yet nutty surprise.

For people like myself who are allergic to peanuts, tahini can be used instead of peanut butter in a range of recipes. It has a slight bitterness so you may need to adjust some of the other flavours.

Tahini with unhulled sesame seed contains more phytonutrients than peanut butter, and, for many people, is easier to digest than almond butter. Tahini is also a versatile ingredient because it's flavor is more neutral than most nut butters. Few people have seed allergies.

Tahini may also have a cleansing effect on your body, which is good for all kinds of stomach issues (colitis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc.) In case this sounds familiar to you, we suggest you consume plain tahini.

“Once the tahini is mixed with water, you're supposed to refrigerate it,” Zitelman says, “but it doesn't last for more than five to seven days in the fridge.”