What is Tahini?!?!
Answers: What is Tahini ( i think it has something to do with seseme seeds). What section of the grocery store is it in, and is it expensive? I'm putting it in hummus, so what does it do for the taste, or just the hummus in general. Add any extra details.
tahini
Pronounced:tuh-HEE-nee
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A paste made from ground sesame seeds, the major ingredient used in hummus. Most used in the Middle East. Tahini may be purchased in cans, jars, fresh or dehydrated. Tahini comes in two varieties; hulled and Unhulled. Unhulled tahini is very bitter. Tahini is sometimes used to replace peanut butter on bread. In the Middle East tahini is used in a variety of dishes, and is often mixed with lemon juice, salt and garlic. May be thinned out to make a sauce. It is a main ingredient in soups. You can make your own tahini by using a blender and mixing white sesame seeds with peanut oil until creamy.
Ingredient
Season: available year-round
How to select: Available in most grocery stores or Asian markets.
How to store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To prevent tahini from separating, store upside down and shake well before opening.
Substitutions: sesame butter OR 3 parts creamy peanut butter and 1 part sesame oil, OR toasted sesame seeds (for hummus) , OR toasted sesame oil (for hummus) OR peanut butter (for sauces)
Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)
NGREDIENTS:
* 5 cups sesame seeds
* 1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350. Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, shaking the seeds frequently with a spatula. Do not allow to brown. Cool for 20 minutes.
Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil and blend until desired consistency.
Yield: 4 cups
Storing Tahini
Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Tahini is ground sesame seeds. Its not usually put in humus I dont think. You eat hummus and tahini separately. Tahini tastes kind of sour and you put it on top of middle eastern foods like falafel.
thick paste made from ground sesame seeds.
Middle-Eastern; paste made from sesame seeds, usually eaten as a dip; also used in preparation of hummus. A 50-g portion is a rich source of calcium, iron, and vitamin B1, a good source of niacin; a source of protein and zinc; provides 4?g of dietary fibre; contains 30?g of fat, of which 15% is saturated and 45% polyunsaturated; supplies 300?kcal (1250?kJ).
Tahini and sesame paste are ground sesame seeds used in cooking. The Middle Eastern tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds; the East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled, roasted seeds.
Tahini is a major ingredient in hummus bi tahini and other Middle Eastern foods. It is sold fresh or dehydrated.
Sesame paste is an ingredient in Chinese and Japanese cuisine; it is a key ingredient of the Szechuan dish Dan dan noodles.
Because East Asian sesame paste is made from unhulled seeds, it is more bitter than tahini, and higher in some nutrients. Paste made from black sesame seeds is said to have higher nutritional value than the brown variety.[citation needed]
Etymology
Tahini is the Arabic word ????? IPA: [t?a?i?nah], or more accurately tahinia ??????, from the root ??? t?-?-n 'to grind', closely related to ???? IPA: [t?a?i?n] 'flour'. The Hebrew form is 'techina'.
Uses
Tahini paste is used in a variety of dishes. Tahini-based sauces are common in Arabic 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 is quite different.
In Turkey, tahini mixed with pekmez is common as a breakfast item, especially in winters.
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.
Sesame paste is also used in Japanese cuisine; the Japanese term for it is neri-goma. A popular dish mixes chopped boiled spinach, sesame paste, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Another dish, goma-dofu (胡麻豆腐), is a custard of sesame paste mixed with soymilk and thickened with agar-agar.
Sesame paste is also used in Chinese and Korean cuisines.
http://www.ochef.com/118.htm
Tahini is a common ingredient in most hummus. I can't find a tahini that doesn't have a rancid taste, so when I make hummus, I "make" tahini. Take the amount of whole sesame seeds called for in the recipe. I take my coffee grinder (very well cleaned out) and "wizz" the seeds until they begin to give off their oil. You will be able to tell by the sound of the grinder motor. When the seeds give off their oil, they get sticky and gum together. The motor slows down a bit.
Tahini is sesame paste
Tahini is ground sesame seeds and is found in the nut butter section of natural foods markets, sometimes in the regular super market. Try some halvah, the sweetened version, but not in your hummus!
In hummus, tahini adds some fat and lots of taste and nutrition. Sesame oil is good, too. Both products are good for flavoring sauces and dressings.