Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and is a key ingredient in hummus. It is usually prepared from hulled sesame seeds, which are often toasted before grinding, producing a smooth, oily paste with a nutty flavor.
In hummus, tahini is blended with cooked mashed chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. It also appears as a sauce or dip on its own, often thinned with water and combined with lemon and garlic. Other uses include baba ghanoush, halva, salad dressings, desserts, and spreads.
Tahini has deep roots in West Asian and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. The word comes from Arabic and is related to a root meaning “to grind.” Sesame cultivation in Mesopotamia goes back thousands of years, while written recipes resembling tahini-based hummus appear in medieval Arabic cookbooks. Tahini is sesame paste, not peanut butter, miso, or the spicy pepper paste harissa.