Tahini, also called tahina, is obtained by grinding sesame seeds into a paste. Raw tahini is also available; it is produced in the same way as other types of tahini but the roasting step is left out. Most tahini sold commercially is not raw.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “Tahini, also tahina and Ardeh (Persian), is a condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. Tahini is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean region, from the Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East to Northern Africa. It is also widely used in Chinese and South East Asian cuisine, notably Vietnamese cuisine.”
Preparation and storage:
“Tahini is made from sesame seeds that are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste.
Because of tahini's high oil content, many manufacturers recommend refrigeration to prevent spoilage. This is particularly true among makers of raw, organic tahini, who will often prepare their tahini at low temperatures and ship and store it in refrigerated cases to maximize quality and shelf life.”
Nutritional information:
“Tahini is an excellent source of calcium, manganese and the amino acid methionine. Tahini is a source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Tahini made from raw sesame seeds is lower in fat than tahini made from roasted seeds.
Tahini's relatively high levels of calcium and protein make it a useful addition to vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as to raw food diets when eaten in its unroasted form. Compared to peanut butter, tahini has higher levels of fiber and calcium and lower levels of sugar and saturated fats.”
Culinary uses:
“Tahini-based sauces are common in Middle Eastern restaurants as a side dish or as a garnish, usually including lemon juice, salt and garlic, and thinned with water, as Hummus made of cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Tahini sauce is also a popular topping for meat and vegetables in Middle Eastern cuisine. ...
In Greece, tahini (Greek: ταχίνι) is used as a spread on bread either alone or topped with honey or jam. Jars of tahini ready-mixed with honey or cocoa are available in the breakfast food aisles of Greek supermarkets.
In Israel, tahini (Hebrew: טחינה t'hina) 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 shwarma, and as an ingredient in various spreads. It is also used as a cooking sauce for meat and fish, and in sweet desserts like halva, halva parfait, 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 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.”
History:
“The oldest mention of sesame is in a cuneiform document written 4,000 years ago that describes the custom of serving the gods sesame wine. The historian Herodotus writes about the cultivation of sesame 3,500 years ago in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Ancient Iraq. It was mainly used as a source of oil.
Tahini is mentioned as an ingredient of hummus kasa, a recipe transcribed in an anonymous 13th-century Arabic cookbook, Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada. Sesame paste is an ingredient in some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes; it is used in some versions of the Szechuan dish Dan dan noodles. Sesame paste is also used in Indian cuisine. In the United States, sesame tahini, along with other raw nut butters, was available by 1940 in health food stores.”
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information per 100g
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2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Energy | 592 kcal 2'477 kJ | 29.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal | |
Fat/Lipids | 53 g | 75.7% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g | |
Saturated Fats | 7.4 g | 37.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g | |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 22 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g | |
Sugars | n/a | ||
Fiber | 4.7 g | 18.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g | |
Protein (albumin) | 17 g | 34.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g | |
Cooking Salt (Na:35.0 mg) | 89 mg | 3.7% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential Nutrients per 100g with %-share Daily Requirement at 2000 kcal | |||
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Fat | Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 21 g | 211.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Min | Copper, Cu | 1.6 mg | 161.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Vit | Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 1.6 mg | 145.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 790 mg | 113.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Min | Selenium, Se | 34 µg | 63.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 98 µg | 49.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Min | Zinc, Zn | 4.6 mg | 46.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Vit | Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 5.6 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Min | Iron, Fe | 4.4 mg | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 95 mg | 25.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Detailed Nutritional Information per 100g for this Ingredient
Explanations
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential fatty acids, (SC-PUFA) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 21 g | 211.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.40 g | 20.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Vitamins |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 1.6 mg | 145.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 98 µg | 49.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 5.6 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.15 mg | 11.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.12 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 4.2 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 3.0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Phosphorus, P | 790 mg | 113.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 95 mg | 25.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Potassium, K | 459 mg | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 141 mg | 18.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 35 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Nutritional Information per 100g
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
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Copper, Cu | 1.6 mg | 161.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Selenium, Se | 34 µg | 63.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Zinc, Zn | 4.6 mg | 46.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Iron, Fe | 4.4 mg | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
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