How to Eat Tahini, From Flavorful Dips and Grain Bowls to Decadent Desserts

If you want to know how to eat tahini, you could start by spooning this magic sauce over a falafel-stuffed pita—but it would be criminal to stop there. A jar of tahini can be the pathway to culinary creativity, enlivening every meal, plus noshes and desserts. Once you've truly experienced its drizzly wonders, you may be tempted to pour it on pretty much everything—well, almost. We spoke to Eden Grinshpan, chef, host of Top Chef Canada, and author of the forthcoming vegetarian cookbook, Tahini Baby, and picked up mouthwatering ideas sure to use up every drop in the jar.

What Is Tahini?

A Middle Eastern staple, tahini is a sesame paste made from sesame seeds, with a subtly nutty taste, and silky texture. The word tahini is derived from the Arabic word tahana, which means "to grind." Premium brands make tahini by soaking, hulling, and roasting the seeds, then grinding them, in small batches. "This creates a lighter, smoother consistency in flavor," Grinshpan says.

The Best Tahini to Buy: Grinshpan relies on two tahini brands: Soom and Seed + Mill. Both are women-founded, U.S.-based companies that source their sesame seeds from Humera, Ethiopia, which is prized for its buttery seeds.

Nutritional Benefits: Tahini takes the cake, nutritionally speaking. An excellent source of protein and calcium, it's rich in magnesium, copper, selenium, zinc, phosphorous, vitamins B and E, and has healthy fats, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

How to Eat Tahini

Grinshpan ate plenty of tahini while growing up, but she didn't recognize its infinite epicurean possibilities till adulthood. "I realized that it was one of those universally delicious condiments that was easy to play around with flavorwise—you can use it in savory and sweet preparations." She shared her go-to ways to enjoy tahini—in hummus and beyond.

Hummus

Even if you consider yourself a tahini neophyte, you've probably sampled this sesame sensation. "Everyone who's had hummus has also had tahini," Grinshpan says, noting that it's a vital ingredient in this Middle Eastern dip. She embellishes her homemade hummus with a pool of garlicky tahini, lemon, olive oil, and paprika.

How to Turn Hummus Into a Tahini-Accented Main Meal

Grinshpan turns the noshable dip into a main meal by layering on these toppings:

Chopped salad: "Throw a bowl of hummus down, then top with the chopped veg salad," she says, referring to her "addictive" mix of Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and radishes. "You drizzle over tahini for more richness and body." Add an egg (or not) and a toasted pita, and it's a dream lunch.

Tomatoey green beans: Bright, tart, tomato-braised green beans make a luscious counterpoint to tahini-rich hummus. "The creamy base has a lot of body to it, so it's very satisfying."

Baharat mushrooms with preserved lemon relish: Tahini-topped hummus is the foundation for caramelized mushrooms, seasoned with baharat, a curry-like spice blend, and a zingy preserved lemon relish.

Next-Level Sauces

Packing in spice and heat, Grinshpan takes tahini to the next level in three ways and you can too:

• Garlicky tahini: A blend of tahini, lemon juice, freshly grated garlic, and salt, lightened up with ice water.
• Spicy green tahini: Heighten garlicky tahini with herbs and serrano chiles.
• Terracotta tahini: Pair garlicky tahini with homemade harissa.

Snacks

Try Grinshpan's revved-up tahinis in this trio of tasty options that are made for dunking.

Raw Vegetables: A snack of crudités dipped in garlicky tahini can be eye-opening. "It's just the most delicious thing because it's rich without being heavy," she says.

Masabacha: This is a chunkier, more rustic version of hummus that Grinshpan loves. It contains tahini, but there's more; she garnishes it with garlicky tahini, lemon braised leeks, and a glug of olive oil—and it's eminently dippable.

Dip Sampler: Anchored by mounds of zhoug, a Yemeni hot sauce, grated tomatoes, and toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce, Grinshpan creates a tahini party plate. It turns a platter of garlicky tahini into a full-on feast. Drag challah chunks through every component, then repeat.

Brunch, Lunch, Dinner

Use any of the punched-up tahinis to add oomph to salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls—and so much more.

Shakshuka: Add garlicky tahini to the eggs and smoked tomato sauce of this brunch favorite. It's a Grinshpan-approved move.

Pasta: Another Tahini Baby standout is a recipe for spiced harissa orecchiette with garlicky tahini. Wait, tahini on pasta? The garlicky tahini, she explains, lends richness, body, and brightness.  "When you put it on top of that pasta dish, it just brings an earthy nuttiness.”

Vegetable Mains: Bring garlicky tahini and harissa to panko-coated fried eggplant, another of Grinshpan's favorites. She calls it eggplant schnitzel.

Poultry and Fish: Garlicky tahini is also omnivore-friendly. Use it on roasted chicken, or fish—"it goes beautifully with everything," Grinshpan says.

Sides: Grinshapan whisks tahini with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper for an unforgettable creamy dressing for asparagus or other vegetables.

Sweets

Tahini also makes desserts irresistible. It pairs well with buttery desserts, fruity ones, and of course with chocolate.

Fruit Crumble: Tahini is a delicious addition to the cookie-like crumb topping of a fruit crumble like Grinshpan's strawberry rhubarb rose tahini crumble.

Rugelach: Of course! Grinshpan makes a pull-apart tahini rugelah, stuffing brioche dough with a tahini filling. "The rugelach has a kind of halva flavor to it (which is a tahini confection) because I blend the tahini with confectioner's sugar and vanilla," she says. You could also try a tahini filling in a regular rugelach.

Frozen Treats: Don't overlook tahini's potential in a fudgy popsicle like Grinshpan's tahini fudge pops. Crumbled halva sprinkled over the chocolate topping adds more tahini goodness.

Storage

Once opened, tahini can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It will last longer if refrigerated but without refrigeration it lasts several months and remains pourable. Whichever storage method you choose, the tahini will need to be stirred to incorporate the oil that has separated.