Tahini

Tahini is a paste made from toasted sesame seeds, oil and a bit of salt. It is made by blending all the ingredients together until it has a smooth consistency. Tahini is found in many cuisines around the world. It has a mild sesame flavour and it is an integral ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini can also be used in salad dressing, soups, and as a condiment.

You can find tahini in most large supermarkets, and middle eastern shops. If you still can’t find it you can also buy it online.

When it comes to storage, you can keep in in the fridge but it’s not necessary, as long it’s tightly sealed you can keep it in a cupboard. Once opened tahini can fast 6 months to a year.

You can tell when tahini has gone bad by the smell. If it doesn’t smell edable it probably isn’t! If you see any mould in the jar it should be discarded immediately.

Tahini substitutes

Nut butters like almond butter or cashew have a similar consistency and work well as tahini substitutes. Smooth peanut butter is also a good replacement. However, it has a much stronger flavour!

In some cases, you can use sesame paste as a tahini replacement. Sesame paste is much darker in colour and has a much stronger flavour.

Recipe suggestion: Hummus