Tahini facts for kids
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Tahini next to lemon and whole garlic
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| Alternative names | Tahina, tahine, etc. |
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| Type | Spread or dip, ingredient or filling in other dishes |
| Region or state | Eastern Mediterranean, West Asia, South Caucasus, parts of North Africa |
| Main ingredients | Sesame seeds |
Tahini is a creamy paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds. It's a popular condiment and a key ingredient in many dishes. You can enjoy it by itself as a dip, or find it in famous foods like hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.
Tahini is a very common food in the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean regions. It's also used in the South Caucasus and parts of North Africa.
Contents
What is Tahini Used For?
Tahini is super versatile! People use it in many different ways around the world.
Tahini Sauces and Dips
In the Middle East, sauces made with tahini are very popular. They often come as a side dish or a topping. These sauces usually have lemon juice, salt, and garlic, and are thinned with water.
Hummus is a famous dip made from cooked, mashed chickpeas. It's blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. Tahini sauce is also a tasty topping for meats and vegetables in Middle Eastern cooking.
Sweet Treats with Tahini
Tahini isn't just for savory dishes! A sweet spread called halawa taḥīniyya is a type of halva candy. It sometimes has crushed pistachio pieces mixed in or sprinkled on top. People often spread it on bread for a quick snack.
In Turkey, tahini (called tahin) is mixed with a fruit syrup called pekmez. This mix, called tahin-pekmez, is often eaten for breakfast or as a sweet dip for bread after meals. In Iraq, tahini (known as rashi) is mixed with date syrup to make a sweet dessert. This is usually eaten with bread.
Tahini Around the World
Tahini is a staple food in many countries, each with its own unique uses.
Tahini in Greece and Cyprus
In Greece, tahini (ταχίνι) is spread on bread. You can eat it plain or add honey or jam. Supermarkets in Greece even sell jars of tahini already mixed with honey or cocoa for breakfast. In Cyprus, tahini, known as tashi, is used as a dip for bread. It's also put in pitta souvlaki instead of tzatziki.
Tahini in Iran
In Iran, tahini is called ardeh (ارده). It's used to make halvardeh (حلواارده), which is a type of halva. This sweet treat is made from tahini, sugar, egg whites, and other ingredients. Iranians also eat ardeh for breakfast, often with sweet things like grape syrup, date syrup, or honey.
Tahini in Israel and the Levant
In Israel, tahini (טחינה t'hina) is a very common food. It's served as a dip with flatbread or pita. It's also a topping for many foods like falafel, sabich, and shwarma. Tahini is also used as a sauce for meat and fish. You can find it in sweet desserts like halva, halva ice cream, and tahini cookies.
In the Levant region, tahini (t'hine) is a main food item. It's prepared with salt, lemon juice, and sometimes garlic. It's served as a dip with pita, or as a topping for falafel and shwarma. It's also a key ingredient in a seafood dish called siyadiyeh.
Special Tahini Varieties
In the Gaza Strip, there's a special "red tahina." It gets its color and stronger taste from a longer roasting process of the sesame seeds. Red tahina is used in dishes like sumagiyya (lamb with chard and sumac) and local salads. In the West Bank city of Nablus, tahini is mixed with qizha paste to make "black tahina," which is used in baking.
Tahini in East Asia
In East Asia, sesame paste is a main condiment used with dry noodles, whether hot or cold. Sesame paste can also be eaten as a dessert, known as black sesame soup.
See also
In Spanish: Tahini para niños
