tahini

American  

[tuh-hee-nee, tah-] / təˈhi ni, tɑ- /

noun

Middle Eastern Cooking.

1. a paste made of ground sesame seeds.

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tahini British  

/ təˈhiːnɪ, təˈhiːnə /

noun

1. a paste made from sesame seeds originating in the Middle East, often used as an ingredient of hummus and other dips

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Etymology

Origin of tahini

First recorded in 1895–1900; Levantine Arabic ṭaḥīni (standard Arabic ṭaḥīna ), derivative of ṭaḥana “to crush, grind”; compare Hebrew tākhan “to crush, grind”

Example Sentences

You must have heard of Dubai chocolate: the sticky, indulgent confectionary filled with pistachio cream, tahini and shreds of knafeh pastry, which has become a global sensation.

From BBC

You cannot go wrong with an old-school tahini dressing: tahini, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice and enough water to thin it into something pourable and generous.

From Salon

The vegetable crudité wreath is then finished off with a store-bought tahini dip drizzled with honey.

From Salon

But is that really a better deal than a $13 bowl of fresh greens, whole-grain rice, grilled chicken, tahini and pickled cabbage?

From The Wall Street Journal

Here in Chicago, every coffee shop worth its salt now ladles out some steaming permutation of oat mush with a swirl of tahini or jam, SQIRL-style.

From Salon