Tahini

Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds, a word that comes from Arabic and entered English usage by the late 1930s. It is most commonly made from hulled seeds, though it can also be made from unhulled seeds, which are slightly more bitter but more nutritious, and the seeds are typically roasted rather than used raw. Tahini can be served as a dip on its own, mixed into salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush or halva, and it features prominently in the cuisines of the Middle East, the eastern Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, the Balkans, South Asia, Central Asia, Cyprus, Ashkenazi Jewish communities, and parts of Russia and North Africa; some East Asian sesame pastes differ only slightly from tahini.