The sesame paste that is a key ingredient in hummus and tarator is tahini. It is made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth, oily paste used as a condiment, dip, dressing, or ingredient.
In hummus, tahini is blended with cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and other seasonings. In Levantine tarator, it is commonly mixed with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and water to create a thinner sauce served with foods such as falafel, fish, shawarma, or Lebanese snails. Tarator can mean different sauces in other regions, including a yogurt-and-cucumber preparation in the Balkans.
Tahini is usually made from hulled sesame seeds, though unhulled versions are darker and more bitter. Roasted seeds are common, and the paste may naturally separate in the jar, so stirring is often needed before use.
The name comes from the Arabic root ṭ-ḥ-n, meaning “to grind.” Ground sesame appears in medieval Arabic culinary writing, including a 10th-century cookbook, while a 13th-century Arabic recipe for hummus kasa specifically mentions tahini.