Tahini Basics

• Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini is a paste similar in consistency to almond butter and peanut butter. Raw varieties are the least processed and contain the most nutrients, while hulled varieties that are roasted lose some nutrients in the toasting and hulling process but end up with a more mild, less bitter flavor. Sesame seeds are soaked overnight, crushed to remove the hulls the following day and then ground into a paste when making raw tahini. For roasted tahini, the sesame seeds are roasted once the hulls are removed. While you cannot replicate this process once the tahini is ground, you can easily substitute one type of tahini for another without a large difference in taste.

Using Raw Tahini

• Raw tahini is commonly used for many recipes that require fresh preparation, as this enables you to recognize the most nutritional value. Salad dressings, smoothies and raw soups are some examples where raw tahini is preferable. When unhulled, raw tahini is considerably thicker than hulled and roasted versions and can require more work to achieve smoothness. Hulled raw tahini is still thicker than roasted tahini, but not as much so as the unhulled version. Always blend raw tahini with a liquid to ensure it is smooth before inclusion in your recipes.

Using Roasted Tahini

• Light roasted, hulled tahini is the smoothest and most mild tasting of the different types of tahini. Unhulled roasted versions are more bitter, but still more mild than raw unhulled ones. Roasted tahini is considerably more easy to use because it's easier to spread and mix on account of its thinner, creamier texture. If the oils in tahini separate during storage, simply stir them back together before using. Mix roasted tahini into a liquid before incorporating it into a larger dish, as it will not dissolve on its own.

Substituting Raw and Roasted Tahini

• It is simple to substitute raw and roasted tahini for one another using a one-to-one ratio. While the taste may be slightly more bitter in some recipes, there is generally no discernible difference when mixed with other ingredients. If you are making a sauce or dressing with raw tahini instead of roasted, use a blender to ease in the mixing process and enable you to create an evenly mixed product. When adding any type of tahini into a liquid such as soup, toss the tahini in your blender first to loosen it up and add a cup or two of liquid to the blender. Swirl the liquid around in it to ensure you get all of the tahini into the soup.