Questions about tahini
Short, direct answers to what people ask us most: the oil on top, the four different names, storing an open jar and where stone-ground tahini actually comes from.
Tahini, tahina, tahin or rashi: what is the difference?
They are four names for one thing: a paste of ground sesame seed. Tahini is the English word, tahina (طحينة) the Arabic one, tahin the Dutch and Turkish spelling, and rashi (راشي) what we say in Kurdish. The name tells you which language someone speaks, not what is in the jar.
There is oil on top of my tahini — is that normal?
Yes, and it is the sign you want. Sesame seed is about half oil, and without an emulsifier that oil slowly rises while the jar stands still. Stir it back through and the tahini is exactly as it should be.
Storing tahini: where, how long and what to look out for
Keep the jar closed, cool and out of the light — a kitchen cupboard away from the cooker is right. Unopened, follow the best-before date on the jar. Once opened, use a clean spoon each time and work through it over the following months.
Where do you buy stone-ground tahini?
Rarely in a supermarket. What stands on those shelves is almost always roller-milled, often with added oil. Stone-ground tahini comes from Middle Eastern grocers or straight from the producer: the Bayaz Tahini Box is a box of 6 jars × 700 g for €49.00, about €11.67 per kilo, shipped from the Netherlands to more than 40 European countries.
The box
6 jars of 700 g, 4.2 kg of stone-ground tahini from Amedi, €49.00 per box. Shipped from the Netherlands to more than 40 European countries.
Order a box