ABOUT SESAME

In Israel, tahini is a staple foodstuff. It is served as a dip with flat bread or pita, a topping for many foods such as falafel, sabich, Jerusalem mixed grill and shawarma, and as an ingredient in various spreads. It is also used as a sauce for meat and fish, and in sweet desserts like halva, halva ice cream and tahini cookies. It is also served baked in the oven with kufta made of lamb or beef with spices and herbs, or with a whole fish in the coastal areas and the Sea of Galilee.

In the Levant, tahini is a staple foodstuff prepared with salt, lemon juice, and optionally mashed garlic. It is served as a dip with pita, or a topping for falafel and shawarma, and as an ingredient in various spreads. It is also used as a sauce for meat and fish. It is a main ingredient in a seafood dish called siyadiyeh. Tahini is used in sweet desserts like halva and halva with pistachios.

In the Gaza Strip, a rust-colored variety known as "red tahina" is served in addition to ordinary tahina. It is achieved by a different and lengthier process of roasting the sesame seeds, and has a more intense taste. Red tahina is used in sumagiyya (lamb with chard and sumac) and salads native to the falaheen from the surrounding villages, as well as southern Gaza. In the West Bank city of Nablus, tahina is mixed with qizha paste to make "black tahina", used in baking.