Tahini — Sesame paste as Shawarma sauce explained

Tahini is a paste made from roasted, finely ground sesame seeds — a staple ingredient in Arabic, Israeli and Turkish cuisine. On its own it's thick and slightly bitter; only when diluted with water, lemon juice, garlic and salt does it become the creamy sauce that lands on the meat in many shawarma shops.

In German-speaking countries, the paste is also encountered under the spellings Tahina, Tahin or simply Sesampaste. The name derives from the Arabic طحينة (ṭaḥīna), derived from the verb ṭaḥana — to grind.

Production and quality characteristics

Sesame seeds are roasted and then ground into a paste — nothing more. High-quality tahini is produced from hulled seeds, is light cream to beige in color, flows viscously from a spoon and tastes nutty without noticeable bitterness. Variants made from unhulled sesame are darker, coarser and more astringent. A typical quality marker: the oil separates at the top of the jar and must be stirred in before use. Industrially stabilized pastes don't have this.

Tahini sauce for shawarma

Pure tahini is too compact for use on the spit. For the sauce, it's whisked with lemon juice, cold water, pressed garlic and salt — interestingly, the mixture becomes firmer at first before turning into a smooth cream with further water addition. In shawarma shops, the sauce usually lands directly on the meat in the pocket or wrap, not as a separate dip. This distinguishes it from Toum, the garlic cream, which is often served separately at the plate's edge.

Role in hummus and baba ghanoush

No hummus without tahini: puréed chickpeas provide the base, the sesame paste provides the binding, the nutty aroma and part of the typical creaminess. Baba ghanoush works on the same principle, just with grilled eggplant as the base. In both cases, the quality of the tahini determines the flavor — bitter or rancid paste can't be saved by lemon and garlic.

Distribution in Germany

Since the 1990s, Turkish and Arabic supermarkets have carried tahini in their standard range, often in 300 to 900-gram jars from Lebanon, Syria or Turkey. Today the paste can also be found in health food stores and in the international sections of larger supermarket chains. Price and quality vary considerably: imported goods from the Middle East are usually cheaper and have a stronger flavor than European-produced organic varieties.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between tahini and tahina?

It's the same product, just transcribed differently. Tahini is the spelling common in English and internationally, tahina closer to the Arabic ṭaḥīna. In Germany you'll encounter both variants, plus the short form tahin and the translation Sesampaste.

Why does my tahini taste bitter?

Bitterness usually indicates unhulled sesame, over-roasting or an old, slightly rancid jar. High-quality tahini made from hulled seeds is nutty and mild. After opening, the paste should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few months.

How do you make tahini sauce for shawarma?

Mix three to four tablespoons of tahini with the juice of half a lemon, one pressed garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Then work in cold water tablespoon by tablespoon — the mixture becomes stiff and lumpy at first, then suddenly smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency to taste, from thick to dressing-like.

Is tahini healthy?

Sesame paste provides plenty of calcium, iron, B vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids. At the same time it's very energy-dense — around 600 kilocalories per 100 grams. As part of a balanced meal, unproblematic; as a main ingredient in larger quantities, calorically relevant.

Can you replace tahini with other ingredients?

For hummus or shawarma sauce there's no real equivalent substitute, because the flavor and binding come from the sesame paste. Emergency solutions are almond butter or cashew butter, which are similar in consistency but taste different. Peanut butter doesn't work aromatically with Middle Eastern sauces.