Tahini is most closely associated with the eastern Mediterranean, particularly the Levant, Egypt, and Turkey. But it has a presence throughout the wider Middle East, the Caucasus, Northern Africa, and the Balkans. It’s actually thought that tahini has its origins in the area around present-day Iran, where it’s known as ardeh. The Ottomans are also credited with spreading sesame throughout their empire and popularizing tahini as an ingredient in sesame halvah.
Tahini is a classic condiment for serving with fish, meats, vegetables, shawarma, salads, and falafel (and wafalafels). You’ll often find it thinned out with a bit of lemon, water, and garlic for drizzling, in which case it’s known as taratour.
Without tahini, dips like hummus and baba ganoush wouldn’t have their sturdy backbone. Tahini also has a place in other savory spreads, such as the Turkish teradot, made with coarsely ground walnuts, and certain variations of skordalia, the garlicky Greek dip.
And in a few cases, tahini is allowed to take center stage, boldly displaying its virtues. Sesame soups, such as the Greek tahinosoupa or West African benne soup, have all the creaminess of a chowder without the dairy.
