Best Tahini on Israel’s Supermarket Shelves

Last Updated on February 13, 2022

Which brand of tahini should I buy?

A consumer report based on a Channel 13 Israel television program – Osot Heshbon – aired on Monday, May 21st, 2018

Love, love tahina? Tahini is the main ingredient of tahina – a delicious condiment.  Basically it is sesame seed paste – fresh sesame seeds either hulled or whole ground down to a fine paste. It’s super simple to transform tahini (Heb. tahina golmi) into tahina – just add water (ice water preferred) maybe salt and lemon juice and this super-food is an instant delicacy.  Tahini can be eaten in many ways; in hummus, as a condiment in falafel or with fish, salad dressings, a binding agent replacing eggs in vegan recipes, halva, biscuits and even ice-cream.

Grinding sesame seeds in the Levant goes back 3,000 – 4,000 years. Experts say that the best sesame seeds come from Ethiopia where unique weather conditions result in a paste sweeter than locally grown sesame seeds.

Although tahini has a high calorie count, around 600 per 100g it is a great source of Vitamins A, B-6 and B-12, vitamin C and vitamin D, magnesium, calcium and iron.  The Israeli standard calls for 16-25.5g protein (per 100 grams) and 53g -67g of healthy vegetable fat (per 100g).

Sugar, salt, stabilizers, preservatives and a long list of other ingredients are added to tahini paste which is then turned into the tahina salad found in supermarket delis and refrigerators.

The purpose of last night’s program was to compare the ingredients, contaminants and flavor. Israelis prefer to make their own tahina salad from tahini paste and the local market for ready made tahina is considerably smaller.

• The Kolbotek tahina test results, July 25th, 2013
• Israel’s national food – follow the humble chick pea on the hummus and falafel trail
• More shopping, price checks and consumer information

Tested brands

10 brands of tahini paste (tahina golmi) were tested

1. Nasich
2. Barakay
3. Har Bracha
4. Caravan
5. Al Arz
6. Achva
7. Ayash
8. Hayona
9. Harduf
10. Yerushalayim

A sample of ready-to-eat tahina salad from the deli counter was also tested.

Comparisons on nutritional value, ingredients, contaminants (pesticides and bacteria) and of course the taste-test were performed

The results

None of the 10 brands of tahini paste, as listed above were found to be contaminated with pesticides, salmonella, listeria or other bacteria.

The tahina salad on the other hand had more than double the amount of coliform bacteria (that nasty E-coli one) allowed by the Ministry of Health.  These tahina salads can easily be contaminated in the manufacturing process – the greater the number of ingredients, the greater the risk of contamination. Less than perfect refrigeration or an unsealed container, a slightly unclean utensil or even a latex glove can be some of the points of contamination.

The taste-test

The panel of 6 judges including Chef Avi Levy (the 2011 winner of Master Chef), restaurateurs, caterers and a food editor judged as follows for flavor, from worst to best:

8th place – from the deli counter

7th place – Achva

6th place – Barakay

5th place – Nasich

4th place – Ayash, Yerushalayim and Caravan

3rd place – Hayona

2nd place – Al Arz

and the best, in first place – Har Bracha

The folks at Har Bracha suggest serving tahina (using their tahini paste of course) with parsley, potatoes, avocado, pomegranate seeds and roasted almonds.