Is tahini kinda nasty?
Posted by YinzerMama on Apr 04, 2007 · Member since Mar 2007 · 80 posts
I looooove hummus... which generally has tahini in it, so I don't think I just naturally hate this stuff. I have never bought it by itself, though I have bought a tahini spread or dip or something from Tader Joe's, and I liked that just fine. But I made a chick pea loaf recently which called for tahini, and I tasted the tahini as I was mixing things, and it was... ugh! Yuck! Nasty! Bitter!!!
The loaf tasted fine... so I am wondering... is the stuff I bought, maybe, RAW? Is it rancid??? It doesn't smell bad, it just tastes bitter and weird. It is the Whole Foods 365 brand. Anyone else find this kind of icky?
I am kind of afraid to make anything else with it, especially anything that doesn't need cooked!
I despise the taste of tahini.
I believe it is supposed to be bitter... atleast thats how mine is
I too suffered from the tahineh blues, so let me share what I've learned so far. First, there are two basic types: toasted and raw. And there's a big difference in flavour. Second, it depends on the brand. Just like peanut butters, each manufacturer has their own methods and recipes, and that influences flavours. The first tahineh I bought was horrible; the second time, different origin and brand, it was...well, OK. That one was raw. The third time, I bought the toasted type and it was good! I do find it kind of "dry" in the mouth for just slathering on toast or something, but it's good in things.
Third, as I say, origin. My first-ever tahineh was purchased in an Asian grocery and it was hard as a pencil eraser, with all the oil floating on top. It took some work to get it all mixed together, and it smelled and tasted extremely underwhelming. Nothing at all like the locally-made stuff I purchased the next two times. I suppose national tastes differ...for example, I never by Chinese made dessert things such as tinned fruit, etc. because I find them *far* too sweet for my taste.
So don't give up yet. Try a different brand, and definitely try the toasted version. Well worth the "experimentation fee".
I personally like the taste but have heard it described as overly bitter, I like bitter, though. It also depends on the brand you buy. I find mine kind of sweet. When making stuff with it, just slowly add it and taste along the way.
Well I think these comments have at least reassured me that the stuff I have isn't rancid or bad. That's good!
I just made the tahini cauliflower recipe on this site and it came out OK. So I guess I just want to avoid it raw and right out of the jar. I will have to look for roasted next time I buy this.
I just bought the same Whole Foods brand tahini last week (funny enough I also bought it for that cauliflower recipe but haven't gotten around to making it yet)... I had a pretty similar experience as you... Tried it out of the jar with a spoon expecting it to taste yummy like a nut butter... And it totally did not! I think thats just how tahini is... Better mixed with things then raw... But I would be interested in trying the roasted kind...
Tahini from raw sesame seeds is a little bitter. A family friend from Israel told me to only by tahini made in Lebanon. If you can find some from Lebanon, it's worth it.
I personally think tahini is the food of the gods - I love it! But, I don't eat it straight very often, I usually mix it with something.
It is naturally slightly bitter. But not extremely bitter. If it smells rancid, it is! Nut and seed butters go rancid easily, especially out of refrigeration.
The more oil on the top, the longer it has been on the shelf, so a little oil separation is good (it's not hydrogenated), a lot is bad (old). When you get it home, store it lid side down so that it won't require so much stirring - it stays mixed better that way. If you use it rarely, keep it in the fridge, but it does get awful stiff that way.
I find that the ethnic brands are much better than the health-food-store brands. My favorites come from Lebanon or somewhere near there. The pourable ones are better than the stiff, dry ones.
The best ways to eat it? I like a Greek-style Tahini dip (I think there are already recipes on this site, but if not, I'll plan to post one). I also adore it on whole grain toast, mixed with maple syrup. (Lemon juice and salt in the dip, and sweetener on the toast both counter the naturally bitter twist)
I just submitted the recipe for Greek Style Tahini Sauce under Greek Recipes. It should show up soon. :)
Cool. I've got a good bit of tahini to use up... :)
tahini is absolutely vile when raw, but splendid in recipes.
i really like to mix tahini and marmite together on a sandwich and eat that, but i also eat tahini straight out of the jar very often.. like.. 10 minutes ago
I have also tried tahini off the spoon and found it bitter and unpalatable. Tahini is one of those ingredients that is good as an ingredient, but barely by itself. Like salt, ... I find it nasty by itself, but it makes everything taste better. Or some people hate vinegar by itself (I love it, but I'm unique), and love it in dressings, etc...
I posted this on the miso thread but I want to share with the tahineh eaters too...try it on wholegrain toast spread with a thin layer of miso and topped with a spoonful of roasted tahineh. Good stuff.
Veganna, I used to drink vinegar out of the bottle when I was a kid..it made me sick but I loved the sourness! After I married I would eat lemons chilled in the fridge..just cut them into quarters and eat them. Is it surprising I have v. little enamel left on my teeth? :) (My dentist thought I was bulimic).
I also had to be watched as a toddler because I would eat mustard out of the jar with a spoon....
It never occurred to me to eat tahini raw. This sounds super nasty because tahini is naturally bitter, just like vinegar and oil! Would you eat oil and vinegar straight? huy!
Yabbit, I mix one tablespoon of dark brown miso into about 1/3 cup of roasted tahini & use as sandwich/pita spread. Usually I stuff the pita with lots of garden greens & some tomato & dip in Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Oh wow! What a wonderful taste sensation!! This is a fave summer sandwich.
For the record, this topic line always makes me giggle when I see it. :P *bumps to top of page* I agree tahini is bitter. But still like it (raw) on sandwiches and things; especially with bananas. Or, tahini and tomato slices. But yeah, when I first bought a jar, I tasted it and thought "Oh no, this is disgusting, and this is a really big jar... crap." Oddly enough, now I'm on my third jar, and I STILL haven't gotten around to making homemade hummus, it disappears too quickly. :P