View source for Tahini

{{Short description|Middle Eastern condiment made from sesame}}
{{redirect|Tahina|other uses|Tahina (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Tahini
| image            = Tahina.JPG
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Tahini next to lemon and whole garlic
| alternate_name   = Tahinia, tahin, tahina, tahine, etc.<ref name="Oxford Dictionaries">{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/tahini |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302061555/https://www.lexico.com/definition/tahini |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-02 |title=tahini |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref name="OED">{{Cite OED2 | tahina}}</ref>
| country          =
| region           =  [[West Asia]], [[Eastern Mediterranean]], [[South Caucasus]], parts of [[North Africa]]
| creator          =
| course           =
| type             = [[Spread (food)|Spread]] or [[Dip (food)|dip]], ingredient or filling in other dishes
| served           =
| main_ingredient  = [[Sesame]] seeds
| variations       =
| calories         =
| other            =
}}
'''Tahini''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ə|ˈ|h|iː|n|i|,_|t|ɑː|-}}; {{Langx|ar|[[wikt:طحينة|طحينة]]|translit=ṭaḥīna}}, or, in Iraq, {{Langx|ar|راشي|translit=rāshī|label=none}}) is a [[Middle Eastern]] [[condiment]] (a [[seed butter]]) made from ground [[sesame]] seeds.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tahini {{!}} Definition of Tahini by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of Tahini|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/tahini|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315040002/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/tahini|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 March 2020|access-date=2021-01-11|website=Lexico Dictionaries {{!}} English|language=en}}</ref> The most common variety comes from [[hulled]] seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used;<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last1=Blythman |first1=Joanna |last2=Sykes |first2=Rosie |last3=Sykes |first3=with recipe by Rosie |date=2013-03-23 |title=Why tahini is good for you |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/23/good-for-you-tahini |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious.<ref name=":0" /> The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself (as a [[Dip (food)|dip]]), made into a [[salad dressing]], or used as a major ingredient in [[hummus]], [[baba ghanoush]], or [[halva]]. 

Tahini is used in the cuisines of the [[Middle East]] and [[Eastern Mediterranean]], the [[South Caucasus]], the [[Balkans]], [[South Asia]], [[Central Asia]], and amongst [[Ashkenazi Jews]], as well as parts of [[Russia]] and [[North African cuisine|North Africa]]. Sesame paste, used in some East Asian cuisines, may differ only slightly from tahini.

== Etymology ==
''Tahini'' is of [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] origin and comes from a colloquial [[Levantine Arabic]] pronunciation of {{transliteration|ar|Wehr|ṭaḥīna}} ({{lang|ar|طحينة}}),<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|tahini|access-date=11 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tahini definition and meaning {{!}} Collins English Dictionary|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/tahini|access-date=2021-01-11|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en-US}}</ref> or more accurately {{transliteration|ar|Wehr|ṭaḥīniyya}} ({{lang|ar|طحينية}}), whence also English "tahina" and Hebrew ''ṭḥina'' {{lang|he|טחינה}}. It is derived from the [[Classical Arabic]] [[triliteral|root]] {{lang|ar|ط ح ن}} {{transliteration|ar|Ṭ-Ḥ-N}}, which as a verb {{lang|ar|طحن}} {{transliteration|ar|Wehr|ṭaḥana}} means "to grind",<ref name="Me recipes">{{citation|title = The Middle Eastern Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients with Over 150 Authentic Recipes, p.146 | author=Ghillie Basan, Jonathan Basan|publisher=Hippocrene Books|year=2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of TAHINI|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tahini|access-date=2021-01-11|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref> and also produces the word {{lang|ar|طحين}} {{transliteration|ar|Wehr|ṭaḥīn}}, "flour" in some [[varieties of Arabic|dialects]].  The word tahini had appeared in English by the late 1930s.<ref name="mariposa">Mariposa, ''Hollywood Glamour Cook Book'', 1940, p. 101.</ref><ref>''Treasury decisions under customs and other laws'', 1938, p. 1080 [https://books.google.com/books?id=SOwWAQAAIAAJ&q=tahini&dq=tahini snippet]</ref>

== History ==
The oldest mention of sesame is in a [[cuneiform]] document written 4,000 years ago that describes the custom of serving the gods sesame wine. Historian [[Herodotus]] writes about the cultivation of sesame 3,500 years ago in the region of the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] in [[Mesopotamia]] (modern day Iraq). It was mainly used as a source of [[oil]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Laniado |first=Limor |url=https://www.haaretz.com/culture/food-wine/be-merry-the-glory-of-tahini-1.361176 |title=The glory of tahini |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=12 May 2011 |access-date=18 January 2013}}</ref>

In the 10th-Century Arabic cookbook ''[[Ibn_Sayyar_al-Warraq#Kitāb_al-Ṭabīkh|Kitab al-Tabikh]]'', a recipe for ground sesame is mentioned, recipes call for its use as condiment or to be eaten with bread.<ref name="NawalNasrallah">{{cite book |last1=Nasrallah |first1=Nawal |title=Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook |date=31 December 2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-474-2305-8 |pages=575,583,619 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Annals_of_the_Caliphs_Kitchens/sQCwCQAAQBAJ |access-date=20 September 2025 |language=en |author1-link=Nawal Nasrallah}}</ref>

Tahini is mentioned as an ingredient of ''[[hummus]] kasa'', a recipe transcribed in an anonymous 13th-century Arabic cookbook, ''Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada''.<ref name=Fordham>{{cite web|title=Middle Eats: What are Lebanon's chances of legally laying claim to hummus?|author=Alice Fordham|publisher=NOW Lebanon|date=10 October 2008|url=http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=62188|access-date=25 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212214428/http://nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=62188|archive-date=12 December 2008}}</ref>

In his 14th-century work ''Kaftor va-Perach'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: כפתור ופרח), [[Ishtori Haparchi]] wrote that the inhabitants of the Middle East in his time consumed tahini, made by grinding sesame seeds and mixing them with [[date honey]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Amar |first=Zohar |date=1993 |title=Estori ha-Parchi and the Identification of the Flora of Eretz Israel |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23536280 |journal=Proceedings of the World Congress of Jewish Studies |language=he |volume=11 |pages=137 |jstor=23536280 |issn=0333-9068}}</ref>

Sesame paste is an ingredient in some [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]] and [[Japanese cuisine|Japanese]] dishes; [[Sichuan cuisine]] uses it in some recipes for [[dandan noodles]]. Sesame paste is also used in [[Indian cuisine]].<ref>Sanjeev Kapoor, ''Khazana of Indian Vegetarian Recipes'', p. 94</ref>

In [[North America]], sesame tahini, along with other raw [[nut butter]]s, was available by 1940 in [[health food store]]s.<ref name='mariposa'/>

== Preparation and storage ==

{{Nutritional value
| name = 
| kJ = 2477
| carbs = 21.50 g
| sugars = 0.49	g
| fat = 53.01 g
| satfat = 7.423 g
| monofat = 20.016 g
| polyfat = 23.232 g
| protein = 17.40 g
| fiber = 4.7 g
| water = 3.00 g
| calcium_mg = 141
| iron_mg = 4.42
| phosphorus_mg = 790
| magnesium_mg = 95
| sodium_mg = 35
| potassium_mg = 459
| zinc_mg = 4.62
| vitC_mg = 4.2
| vitA_iu = 67
| thiamin_mg = 1.590
| riboflavin_mg = 0.120
| niacin_mg = 5.640
| vitB6_mg = 0.150
| folate_ug = 98
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1100609/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

Tahini is made from sesame seeds that are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the [[bran]] from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste.<ref name="Davidson 2014">{{cite book|first=Anissa|last=Helou|editor-first1=Alan|editor-last1=Davidson|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bIIeBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA802|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|pages=802–803|date=2014|isbn=9780191040726|via=Google Books}}</ref> It can also be prepared with untoasted seeds and called "raw tahini".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Coulombe |first1=Geneviève |last2=Tamber |first2=Sandeep |title=Salmonella enterica Outbreaks Linked to the Consumption of Tahini and Tahini-Based Products |journal=Microorganisms |date=19 November 2022 |volume=10 |issue=11 |pages=2299 |doi=10.3390/microorganisms10112299 |pmid=36422369 |pmc=9694856 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-2607}}</ref>

Because of tahini's high oil content, some manufacturers recommend refrigeration to prevent spoilage. Others do not recommend refrigeration, as it makes the product more viscous and more difficult to serve.<ref name="Ochef">{{cite web|url=http://www.ochef.com/1285.htm |title=Refrigerated or Not, How Long Does Tahini Last? |publisher=Ochef |access-date=18 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120025426/http://www.ochef.com:80/1285.htm|archive-date=20 January 2013}}{{Self published inline|date=January 2019}}</ref>

The color of the produced tahini is affected by the kind of sesame used, untoasted sesame produces a bright-colored tahini; toasted or unshelled sesame produces tahini have a darker color,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dimopoulos |first1=Johanna |title=Building Blocks: Greek Whole Grain Tahini, and the Artisans Behind It |url=https://culinarybackstreets.com/cities-category/athens/2021/building-blocks-37/ |website=Culinary Backstreets |access-date=24 July 2025 |language=en |date=26 March 2021}}</ref> [[black sesame]] produces a tahini with a deep black color (dubbed "black tahini").<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shap |first1=Elana |title=It's about tradition, not trend for one Arab tahini maker |url=https://www.israel21c.org/its-about-tradition-not-trend-for-one-arab-tahini-maker/ |website=ISRAEL21c |access-date=11 May 2025 |date=28 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="elhaddad"/>

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Tahini with roasted sesame.JPG|Tahini made with roasted sesame, dubbed "red tahini"
File:Hummus&ful.jpg|[[Hummus]] and [[Ful medames|ful]] topped with tahini
File:Tahini integral i blanc a la venda en un supermercat de Barcelona.jpg|Unhulled tahini (left) and hulled "white" tahini (right) on a store shelf in [[Barcelona]]
</gallery>

== Nutrition ==
Tahini is 53% [[fat]], 22% [[carbohydrate]]s, 17% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and 3% water. In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, it supplies 592 [[calorie]]s, and is a rich source of [[thiamine]] (133% of the [[Daily Value]], DV), several [[mineral (nutrient)|dietary minerals]] (25-63% DV), [[niacin]], and [[folate]] (25-35% DV, table). Tahini is a moderate source (10-19% DV) of [[calcium in biology|calcium]] and [[potassium in biology|potassium]].

== Culinary uses ==
Tahini-based sauces are common in Middle Eastern restaurants as a side dish or as a garnish, usually including [[lemon juice]], salt, and [[garlic]], and thinned with water. Hummus is made of cooked, mashed [[chickpeas]] typically blended with tahini, lemon juice and salt. Tahini sauce is also a popular topping for meat and vegetables in [[Middle Eastern cuisine]]. A sweet spread, ''ḥalawa ṭaḥīniyya'' ({{lang|ar|حلاوة طحينية}} "sweet tahini"), is a type of halva sweet. It sometimes has mashed or sliced [[pistachio]] pieces sprinkled inside or on top.

In many parts of the Middle East, it is spread on bread and eaten as a quick snack or breakfast. Alternatively, bread can be dipped into tahini sweetened by a syrup such as [[grape syrup]], [[Carob#Syrup_and_drinks|carob syrup]], or [[date_honey|date syrup]]; the sweetener may vary by region.<ref name="rkassis">{{cite book |last1=Kassis |first1=Reem |title=The Palestinian Table |date=23 October 2017 |publisher=Phaidon Press |isbn=978-0-7148-7496-8 |page=108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pmm2tAEACAAJ |language=en}}</ref>

=== For sweets ===
Tahini is also used in [[sweet dishes]] such as [[cake]]s, [[cookies]], [[halva]], and [[ice cream]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Davidson">{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Davidson (food writer) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bIIeBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA378 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University press |year=1999 |isbn=0-19-211579-0 |location=Oxford |pages=378}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Akis Petretzikis LTD |title=Tahini ice cream |url=https://akispetretzikis.com/en/recipe/4938/pagwto-tachini |access-date=2024-04-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salamandra |title=Make a blissful cake of chocolate and tahini |url=https://www.israel21c.org/21see/make-a-blissful-cake-of-chocolate-and-tahini/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=ISRAEL21c |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-07 |title=Dark Cocoa Tahini Cookies (Gluten-Free) |url=https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/dark-cocoa-tahini-cookies-gluten-free-r3948/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Celiac.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== By region ===
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2019}}
==== Armenia ====
In [[Armenia]], tahini can be used as a sauce to put on ''[[lahmajoun]]''.

==== China ====
[[File:Black sesame paste.jpg|thumb|Black sesame paste, sometimes called "black tahini" (not to be confused with [[Qizha]], also called black tahini<ref name="viceBlackTahini" />), is popular in Chinese cuisine]]
In [[Chinese cuisine]], sesame paste ({{lang-zh|[[wikt:芝麻醬|芝麻醬]]}} zhīmájiàng) is used as a condiment in many dishes. Chinese sesame paste differs from the Middle Eastern tahini in that the sesame is roasted; the paste is much darker, and has far less astringency. Often, white sesame paste is used in salty dishes, while black sesame paste is used in desserts (not to be confused with [[black sesame soup]], which is made in a different manner from sesame paste). Sesame paste is a primary condiment in the [[hot dry noodles]] of [[Hubei cuisine]] and ma jiang mian (sesame paste noodles) of [[Northeastern Chinese cuisine]] and [[Taiwanese cuisine]]. Sesame paste is also used as a bread or [[mantou]] [[Spread (food)|spread]], and may be paired with or baked into [[Bing (bread)|bing (Chinese flatbread)]]. Sesame paste is used as a seasoning, condiment and dip in cold dishes (such as ''[[liangfen]]'') and [[hot pot]].

==== Cyprus ====
In [[Cyprus]], tahini, locally pronounced as ''tashi'', is used as a dip for bread and sometimes in ''pitta [[souvlaki]]'' rather than ''tzatziki'', which is customary in Greece; it is also used to make "tahinopitta" ([[Tahini roll|tahini pie]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=Food and Celebration, from Fasting to Feasting: Proceedings of the 13th Conference of the International Commission for Ethnological Food Research, Ljubljana, Preddvor, and Piran, Slovenia, June 5–11, 2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AHGHEAAAQBAJ |editor-last=Lysaght |editor-first=Patricia |chapter=Fasting in Cyprus |last1=Egoumenidou |first1=Euphrosyne |last2=Michaelides |first2=Demetrios |date=2002 |publisher=Založba ZRC |location=Ljubljana |isbn=9789616358545 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AHGHEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA60 60] |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

==== Egypt ====
In [[Egypt]], tehina ({{langx|arz|طحينة}}), is a fundamental component of the country's [[Egyptian cuisine|cuisine]], serving as an ingredient, a condiment, and a dipping sauce. Derived from toasted, hulled sesame seeds ground into a creamy paste, tehina boasts a rich, nutty flavor with a slightly bitter undertone.<ref name=cheznermine>{{cite web |title=Egyptian Tehina sauce: صوص الطحينة على الطريقة المصرية |url=https://cheznermine.com/2023/12/02/egyptian-tehina-sauce-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9/ |website=Chez Nermine |access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>

In Egyptian culinary traditions, tehina is often made by blending it with lemon juice, garlic, and water, resulting in a smooth, ivory-colored condiment. This sauce is commonly seasoned with salt and cumin to enhance its flavor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tahini Sauce |url=https://toriavey.com/tahini-sauce/ |website=Tori Avey |date=20 January 2010 |access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref> The consistency can be adjusted by varying the amount of water, making it suitable as a dip, dressing, or accompaniment to various dishes.<ref>{{cite web |title=How To Make Egyptian Tahini Sauce |url=https://www.healthylifetrainer.com/tahini-dressing-recipe/ |website=Healthy Life Trainer |date=26 April 2023 |access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>

Tehina sauce holds a prominent place in [[Egyptian cuisine]], frequently accompanying dishes such as [[falafel|ta'miya]], [[ful medames]] and grilled meats like [[Koftet el hati|kofta]]. Its creamy texture and tangy profile complement the robust flavors of most foods, making it a staple on Egyptian dining tables.<ref name=cheznermine/>

==== Greece ====
In [[Greece]], tahini ({{langx|el|[[wikt:ταχίνι|ταχίνι]]}}) is used as a spread on bread either alone or topped with honey or jam. Jars of tahini ready-mixed with honey or cocoa are available in the breakfast food aisles of Greek supermarkets.

==== Iran ====
In [[Iran]], tahini is called ''ardeh'' ({{lang|fa|[[wikt:ارده|ارده]]}}) in [[Persian language|Persian]]. It is used to make ''halvardeh'' ({{lang|fa|حلوا ارده}}), a kind of [[halva]] made of tahini, [[sugar]], [[Egg white|egg whites]], and other ingredients. It is also eaten during breakfast, usually with an accompanying sweet substance, such as [[grape syrup]], [[date syrup]], [[honey]], or [[Fruit preserves|jam]]. Ardeh and halvardeh are among the souvenirs of the Iranian cities of [[Yazd, Iran|Yazd]] and [[Ardakan, Iran|Ardakan]].

==== Iraq ====
In [[Iraq]], tahini is known as ''rashi'' ([[wikt:راشي|راشي]]), and is mixed with [[Phoenix dactylifera|date]] syrup ([[Rub (syrup)|rub]]) to make a sweet dessert usually eaten with bread.

==== Israel ====
In [[Israel]], tahini ({{langx|he|[[wikt:טחינה|טחינה]]}} ''ṭḥina'') is a staple foodstuff. It is served as a dip with flat bread or [[pita]], a topping for many foods such as [[falafel]], [[sabich]], [[Jerusalem mixed grill]] and [[shawarma]], and as an ingredient in various spreads. It is also used as a sauce for meat and fish, and in sweet desserts like halva,<ref>Rogov, Daniel, [https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Food/Halvahparfait.html Halvah Parfait]</ref> [[halva ice cream]] and [[tahini cookie]]s. It is also served baked in the oven with ''[[kufta]]'' made of lamb or beef with spices and herbs, or with a whole fish in the coastal areas and the [[Sea of Galilee]].

==== Levant ====
In the [[Levant]], tahini ({{langx|apc|ṭḥine|italics=yes}}) is a staple food and is used in various spreads and culinary preparations. It is the main ingredient of the [[Tarator (sauce)|Ṭaraṭor (sauce)]] which is used with falafel and shawarma. It is also used as a sauce for meat and fish. It is an ingredient in a seafood dish called ''[[siyadiyeh|ṣiyadiyeh]]''.

==== Palestine ====
In the [[Gaza Strip]], a rust-colored variety known as "red tahina" is served in addition to ordinary tahina. It is achieved by a different and lengthier process of roasting the sesame seeds, and has a more intense taste. Red tahina is used in ''[[sumaghiyyeh|sumagiyya]]'' (lamb with chard and sumac) and salads native to the [[Fellah|falaḥeen]] from the surrounding villages, as well as southern Gaza.<ref name="elhaddad">
{{cite book
|last1=el-Haddad
|first1=Laila
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrSIjgEACAAJ
|title=The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey
|date=February 2016
|publisher=Garnet Publishing, Limited
|isbn=9781859644621
|language=en
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gold |first1=Rozanne |title=The Search for Red Tahina |url=https://www.rozannegold.com/blog-new/2021/7/7/the-search-for-red-tahina |website=Rozanne Gold |access-date=11 May 2025 |date=7 July 2021}} By [[Rozanne Gold]]</ref>

In the [[West Bank]] city of [[Nablus]], tahina is mixed with ''[[qizha|qizḥa]]'' paste to make "black tahina", used in baking.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berger |first=Miriam |title=Is the world ready for this Palestinian dish? |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190327-is-the-world-ready-for-this-palestinian-dish |access-date=2019-03-28 |website=www.bbc.com |date=28 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> It is distinct from the "black tahini" made from black sesame seeds.<ref name="viceBlackTahini">{{cite news |last1=Pyenson |first1=Luke |title=Black Tahini Is the Dark Magic of Palestine |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/black-tahini-is-the-dark-magic-of-palestine/ |access-date=24 July 2025 |work=VICE |date=17 September 2014}}</ref>

It is also commonly sweetened with [[grape syrup]] and eaten with [[pita]] bread.<ref name="rkassis"/>

==== Turkey ====
In [[Turkey]], tahini ({{langx|tr|tahin}}) is mixed with [[pekmez]] to make ''tahin-pekmez'', which is often served as a [[breakfast]] item or after meals as a sweet dip for breads.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{Wiktionary}}
* [[List of Middle Eastern dishes]]
* [[Dip (food)#List of common dips|List of dips]]
* [[List of sesame seed dishes]]
* [[List of spreads]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Levantine cuisine}}
{{Cuisine of Greece}}
{{Cuisine of Egypt}}
{{Cuisine of Lebanon}}
{{Cuisine of Turkey}}

[[Category:Sesame dishes]]
[[Category:Nut and seed butters]]
[[Category:1930s neologisms]]
[[Category:Food ingredients]]
[[Category:Food paste]]
[[Category:Spreads (food)]]
[[Category:Arab cuisine]]
[[Category:Armenian cuisine]]
[[Category:Cypriot cuisine]]
[[Category:Greek cuisine]]
[[Category:Egyptian cuisine]]
[[Category:Iranian cuisine]]
[[Category:Iraqi cuisine]]
[[Category:Israeli cuisine]]
[[Category:Jordanian cuisine]]
[[Category:Lebanese cuisine]]
[[Category:Levantine cuisine]]
[[Category:Palestinian cuisine]]
[[Category:Syrian cuisine]]
[[Category:Turkish cuisine]]
[[Category:White sauces]]
[[Category:Middle Eastern cuisine]]
[[Category:Mizrahi Jewish cuisine]]
[[Category:Balkan cuisine]]