Some tahini tastes very salty, other tahini does not. Why?
I have bought several jars of tahini from different companies lately. All labels say, that they contain 100% hulled sesame seeds with no preservatives or artifical flavours added.
Some of the jars contained very salty tahini. At first, I even thought, the salty ones were contaminated with some inedible chemical. But then a friend from the Middle East told me, that he sees them as the original flavour and he did not like the unsalty ones, that he called "Australian tahini".
An example of the unsalty tahini is Mayver's Tahini Hulled, for the salty ones I did not find a brand, as they are just bottled by Australian local wholesalers for Mediterannean food.
What makes the tahinis so different? Do they - as I think - use different chemicals for hulling? Is the salt washed out of the tahini in the unsalty brands, as my friend thinks?
EDIT: One thing, I noticed: The salty tahini is runnier.
2nd EDIT: After reading @Jefromi's comment, I've looked at the ingredients. Salt is not listed and I doubt, that I would taste 1/1000th of salt in the tahini. Surprisingly the less salty tahini contains 11 times more sodium than the salty one, which makes me wonder, if the salty tastes comes from another salt than NaCl.
Here are the contents of the tahinis per 100g (unsalty first - Melissa Tahini, salty second):
- Energy
- 2728 kJ, 2924 kJ
- Protein
- 25.8g, 31.6g
- Fat - Total
- 54g, 63.6g
- Carbohydrate - Total
- 17.1g,1.3g
- Carbohydrates - Sugars
- 1.3g, Nil
- Sodium
- 46mg, 4mg
Salty tahini
Unsalty tahini
The numbers are so different, I wonder, if they are correct.
Best Answer
Just toured 17 tahini factories in Palestine. The traditional process soaks the sesame seeds in salt water, first to soften the hull for de-hulling, again to separate the hulls from the seeds, and finally to obtain the desired flavor. The seeds are rinsed in fresh water prior to drying and roasting. Alternate de-hulling processes avoid the initial salt water soak, but retain the salt water soak after de-hulling and prior to rinsing and roasting to obtain the desired flavor.
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Quick Answer about "Some tahini tastes very salty, other tahini does not. Why?"
"melissa" tahini use the water hulling process & do not roast their seeds,hence their hulled tahini is very light in colour,creamy,smooth & not salty.Is tahini salty?
Explained simply, tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds that have been roasted and then ground. A staple food in Middle Eastern cuisine, quality tahini is slightly salty, nutty and creamy\u2014a smooth nut butter delicious enough to eat with a spoon.Why is some tahini bitter?
Tahini is known for having a somewhat bitter taste. That said, depending on the brand (or product), the bitter part of the flavor may be even more potent. The reason some tahini is more bitter than other brands is due to the poor quality of the seeds, or the seeds being over-roasted.Is tahini sweet or salty?
Tahini has a slightly nutty, savory taste, but it can easily be made sweet by mixing it with molasses or honey. The versatility of the spread makes it perfect for basically any dish \u2013 like on maple toast with bananas or as a salad dressing.What should tahini taste like?
Tahini, also called \u201ctahina\u201d in some countries, may look a little like peanut butter, but it doesn't taste like it. Tahini isn't sweet like most nut butters, and the nutty flavor is strong and earthy, and can be a little bitter. If the bitterness is really strong, though, that could mean the batch is old or expired.Tahini Taste-Off : What is the best tahini?
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Answer 2
I would think that the water being used for the hulling process has salt in it. The label is only going to list added items for the production of the finished product. Of course that depends on where you live and the food laws that govern your area.
If the manufacturer is purchasing seeds pre-hulled then he's not going to be listing any added salt because as far as he's concerned he's just putting sesame seeds into a grinder.
The fact that he doesn't need to ADD any additional salt as shown from the label shows that his supply is coming to him in a salty state already. Which is why he's probably using them because he's saving on the cost of salt in the recipe.
Answer 3
Maybe try to buy 'original' middle-eastern Tahini actually made in an Arab country on Israel in Arab/Israeli owned stores or those catering to those crowds. Here in Israel if you don't add salt while making the Tehina it's doesn't taste good enough...
Answer 4
"melissa" tahini use the water hulling process & do not roast their seeds,hence their hulled tahini is very light in colour,creamy,smooth & not salty.some processers use a caustic process & most processers roast their hulled tahini.you can tell if it is roasted by a darker colour & by taste.I think they all roast their unhulled tahini to help get the oil out?it tastes like it.nutritionally,roasted oil is not good.
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