Since white people ‘discovered’ Tahini. I’ve seen it everywhere, used in some ahem, interesting
ways. It’s a creamy but dairy free product and many have used it in coffee, salads, desserts, the works. (I actually like the coffee situation but don’t tell anybody)

As much as all the innovative ways of using it are great, I feel like people don’t know how to make a basic tahini dressing (or tahina as we call it) which is its common use in ME/NA cooking. It is so damn
easy and tasty and zingy. I think I miss the zing the most. None of the ways people use it in recipes nowadays has the zing of the vinegar and lemon that compliment it so well. Tahina is the sauce we would use for fish, falafel, shawarma, kofta and basically everything. It’s always on the table. Try it out and you might start using it as much too!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Tahini paste (crushed sesame seeds)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
Half a lemon
A pinch of cumin and salt and black pepper.

Method:

1. Mix tahini in a bowl with about an equal amount of water. I start with the water because I find it mixes easier than starting with vinegar (which is what your “supposed to do”). It might feel like its not mixing properly but if you keep mixing, it will change into a creamy,
   pillowey consistency.
2. Add the vinegar and mix well. It won’t be as pillowey anymore but that’s what you want. It should be slightly runny. Add more water if it looks too dry.
3. Add the cumin, lemon and season. Mix well. It’s ready as this point but taste to see if you want to add more salt, cumin or lemon. It should be equally tangy and salty.
4. Enjoy with meatballs, falafels, grilled fish, or as a creamy salad dressing.