What Exactly Is Tahini Anyway?
First of all, let’s deal with a common misconception that seems to be floating around out there. Tahini is not nut butter. It does not come from a nut! It comes from the seeds of sesame plants.
Now, you can’t go out and start squeezing sesame seeds into a paste by hand, so some machines do this for us. It’s important to know that not all Tahini is created equal, though.
Getting Better All The Time
The process of making best Tahini is an ancient one that has not changed much over the years. The goal is simple: grind up some sesame seeds into something resembling wet sand, then squeeze out the oil until you get a thick creamy substance with a yummy nutty flavor – Tahini! Because this process was developed long before we realized how important it was to keep an eye on things like contamination and freshness. It is still more common than it should be for Tahini to contain added ingredients like moisture, preservatives, etc., flavoring agents. In some cases, these additions are negligible, but they have been added to increase shelf life or appeal in other cases.
A whole lot of Tahini!
In order to deal with this problem, a new rating system has been created by the International Tahini Organization. Although there is still a lot of work ahead to get all manufacturers on board with adhering to these standards, it’s a good first step towards establishing an effective rating system that will help consumers decide what kind of Tahini they want to buy. The more information we pass between each other about which brands offer quality tasting products, the more power we’ll give ourselves as shoppers and the more power we’ll give to brands who adhere to these standards.
What To Look For In A Good Tahini
The two main factors that you should be looking for when shopping for Tahini are the percentage of sesame seeds and how much oil is included in the product. All of this information will be listed on the nutrition fact label on the back of your jar. You can also use our breakdown below as a kind of checklist for what to look out for when making your next trip to the store!
In conclusion, the best Tahini is made from 100% sesame seeds and has a low amount of oil included. If you do not know these numbers, it’s good to contact the manufacturer by email or phone before buying.
