Source · mill

Lebanon tahini mill

Beirut, Mount Lebanon, LB

Placeholder mill entry — Lebanese and Palestinian tahini is made from hulled sesame seeds roasted lightly and ground on stone mills until pourable. The Ethiopian Humera and Sudanese sesame varieties are the most prized; the stones run cool so the seeds don't darken or burn.

The single ingredient that separates a great hummus from a passable one. Industrial American tahini is thick, often bitter, sometimes pasty; a Lebanese or Palestinian stone-ground tahini is thinner, pours like room-temperature honey, and tastes more clearly of the seed.