tahini

Tahini dip

Tahini, jar 453g. (Natural oil separation is visible at the top)

Tahini (Arabic- طحينة), zhimajiang (芝麻醤), nerigoma (ねりごま), טחינה (tahina or t'hina - Hebrew) or sesame paste is a paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking. Middle Eastern tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds.

Tahini is a major component of hummus bi tahini and other Middle Eastern foods. It is sold fresh or dehydrated.

Sesame paste is an ingredient in some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes; it is used in some versions of the Szechuan dish Dan dan noodles. Because East Asian sesame paste is made from unhulled seeds, it is more bitter than tahini.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

Tahini is an Arabic loanword to English. طحينة IPA: [tˁaħiːnah], or more accurately ṭaḥīnīa طحينية, is derived from the root طحن tˁ-ħ-n which as a verb means 'to grind',^[1] the same root as طحين IPA: [tˁaħiːn] 'flour'.

It is sometimes called tahina or t'hina (טחינה), based on the cognate Hebrew word of the same root and meaning ("to grind").^{[citation needed]}

History

Tahini is mentioned as an ingredient of Hummus Kasa, a recipe transcribed in an anonymous 13th century Arabic cookbook, Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada.^[2]

Tahini originates in ancient Persia (Iran), under the name ardeh (ارده) 'holy food'.^{[citation needed]}

Uses

Tahini paste is used in a variety of dishes. Tahini-based sauces are common in Arab and Israeli restaurants as a side dish or as a garnish, usually including lemon juice, salt and garlic, and thinned with water. Tahini sauce is a popular condiment for meat and vegetables in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also a main ingredient in soups. As a spread, tahini can replace peanut butter on bread, though the flavor and texture are quite different.

In Turkey, tahini (tahin in Turkish) is mixed with pekmez to form a dish called [tahin-pekmez] and served as a breakfast item thanks to its high-calorie nutritious value (or after meals as a dessert to dip bread pieces in) especially in the wintertime.

In Iraq and some gulf countries, tahini is mixed with date syrup (rub) to make a sweet dessert usually eaten with bread.

Tahini is also the main ingredient in the Mediterranean type of halva.

Tahini is becoming more common in European cuisine and can be found as an ingredient in some pre-packaged sandwiches.

Tahini is an important ingredient in hummus bi tahini.

References

Bibliography