My Favorite Tahini Just Got Even Better — And I Think You’re Gonna Love It
We’re big believers in tahini here at Kitchn. The Middle Eastern sesame seed paste is in just about every one of our editors’ refrigerators, to be whisked into a creamy sauce for salads and grain bowls, blended into hummus, or even baked into cookies. And me? Well, I might as well be the captain for Team Tahini, because I truthfully reach for it on a daily basis.
What rooted my love for the condiment so many years ago? Brands like Seed + Mill, headquartered in New York City’s Chelsea Market, which makes tahini that’s the farthest thing from the chalky, dusty kind you might find at your run-of-the-mill grocery store. The Seed + Mill tahini is nutty, rich, and luxuriously smooth. I barely even have to stir it when I open the jar.
In short: Seed + Mill tahini is perfect and I’ve never felt it needed to be tinkered with. However, I just got my hands on their brand new tahini and quickly changed my tune because they have tinkered. They blended my all-time favorite spice blend, za’atar, into their tahini. And they’ve come up with pure magic!
Buy: Seed + Mill Organic Za’atar Tahini, $40 for three 16-ounce jars
If you’re unfamiliar with za’atar, allow me to introduce you. The Middle Eastern dry spice blend is a mixture of sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, and sumac (a uniquely tangy, lemony spice). Some blends, including Seed + Mill’s, also contain cumin and coriander. The result is something that’s ultra savory and earthy, with a punch of tartness.
Za’atar is a natural match with just about all Middle Eastern ingredients — especially tahini, which is why Seed + Mill’s new jar is so dreamy. They blended lots of za’atar right into their classic tahini to result in a version that’s full of extra flavor. I’ve been using it in place of regular tahini in just about all of my usual favorites. It makes for extra-jazzy salad dressings, from-scratch hummus, and even pasta sauce. Because it’s so savory, the only place it really doesn’t work is in sweets like tahini energy balls and granola, but that’s okay because I still always keep a plain jar on hand, too.