tahini

tahini — noun

1. a thick, creamy paste made from sesame seeds that have been ground until smooth,

1.nounB1
Definition

a thick, creamy paste made from sesame seeds that have been ground until smooth, used to flavour dishes such as hummus, dressings, and sauces in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking

Example

Amira stirred a spoonful of tahini into the soup to give it a nutty flavour.

collocation: spoonful of tahini

Tuan checked the jar of tahini in the fridge before starting the hummus recipe.

Common collocations
  • stir tahini
  • drizzle tahini
  • a spoonful of tahini
  • a jar of tahini
  • tahini sauce
  • tahini dressing
  • tahini paste
Synonyms
  • sesame paste

    broader term; can refer to any ground sesame product including Chinese or Japanese varieties

  • sesame butter

    thicker consistency, sometimes sweetened; less common in savoury cooking

  • tahina

    alternative spelling, especially in British English and Australian English

Usage Note

Uncountable noun, typically used without an article. Common in Middle Eastern, North African, and Mediterranean cuisines. The oil in tahini can separate over time, so it should be stirred well before use.

Common Mistakes

I need a tahini for this recipe.
I need tahini for this recipe.
Tahini is uncountable and does not take the indefinite article 'a'.
I bought two tahinis from the market.
I bought two jars of tahini from the market.
Use a countable phrase like 'jars of' or 'containers of' to quantify tahini.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tahini, sesame paste, and sesame butter are all ground sesame products but differ in preparation and intended use. Tahini refers specifically to the Middle Eastern style made from hulled, toasted sesame seeds ground to a smooth, pourable consistency — it is the standard ingredient for hummus and baba ganoush. Sesame paste is a broader term that includes Chinese sesame paste, which uses untoasted seeds and has a darker, thicker, more bitter flavour. Sesame butter is similar to peanut butter in texture, made from whole sesame seeds with added oil, and is often sweetened for use as a spread. Tahina is simply an alternative spelling of tahini, common in British and Australian English. When a recipe calls for tahini, the light, runny Middle Eastern variety is intended.

tahini ↗sesame pastesesame buttertahina

Common collocations

Nouns

  • jar of tahini
  • tablespoon of tahini
  • tahini sauce
  • tahini dressing
  • tahini paste
  • tahini dip

Prepositions

  • with tahini
  • of tahini
  • made from tahini

Etymology

ArabicTurkishEnglish

Tahini comes from the Arabic word ṭaḥīna (طحينة), meaning 'ground meal' or 'flour', derived from the Arabic root ṭ-ḥ-n (طحن), meaning 'to grind'. The word entered English in the mid-20th century through Turkish tahin, and became widely known as Middle Eastern cuisine gained popularity in Western countries.