tahini
Tahini is a smooth, creamy paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. Think of it as the savory, nutty cousin to peanut butter; it has a rich, slightly bitter, and earthy profile that serves as a fundamental building block in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. While it is most famously known as a key ingredient in hummus and baba ganoush, it is also incredibly versatile as a base for salad dressings, sauces, or even drizzled over roasted vegetables. Because it is quite dense, you will often see it mixed with lemon juice, garlic, and water to create a thinner, pourable consistency.
In conversation
Making lunch
Do we have enough tahini for the dressing?
Do we have enough tahini for the dressing?
I think so, it's in the back of the pantry.
I think so, it's in the back of the pantry.
Used here as a staple ingredient for a dressing.
At a cafe
Does the falafel wrap come with tahini sauce?
Does the falafel wrap come with tahini sauce?
Yes, it's drizzled with our house-made tahini.
Yes, it's drizzled with our house-made tahini.
Refers to the sauce form of the ingredient.
Examples
I bought a jar of tahini at the store.
I bought a jar of tahini at the store.
Add a tablespoon of tahini to make the salad dressing creamier.
Add a tablespoon of tahini to make the salad dressing creamier.
The nutty flavor of the tahini perfectly complements the roasted eggplant.
The nutty flavor of the tahini perfectly complements the roasted eggplant.
