tahina and the krembo

The middle east is well known for humus. Indeed I will never again eat American grocery-store humus. Here, when the humus comes out from a restaurant kitchen (if you can call it a restaurant or a kitchen), still slightly warm from the mixer, topped with whole chickpeas, herbs, paprika, olive oil and a little tahina... I can't explain my joy. Sometimes I order it with a hardboiled egg, sometimes with deliciously spiced ground meat. Regardless of the combination, wolfed down with pita, it's amazing. I'll devote an upcoming blog entry to Humus, but it isn't really what I meant to talk about this time.

טחינה (Tkhinah) in Hebrew and طحينة (Tahinah) in Arabic is a paste made of ground sesame seeds. In Both languages it comes from the Proto-Semtic root meaning ground, or to grind. Tahina has a great many uses. The simplest is prepared into a dip or sauce (recipe to follow). But it features heavily in babganoush, humus and other salads. Halva, a dessert, is made from tahina and honey (and sometimes chocolate, coffee, nuts or dried fruit). It is also used to make cookies (like peanut butter cookies but so much better). I actually enjoy tahina more than humus (I could get stoned for saying that). I like it on salads, on raw vegetables, on roasted vegetables, on fish, on meat, with cheese, in sandwiches and with a spoon.

Paul's Simple Tahina

1 Cup raw Tahina
Juice of One Lemon
1/2 Cup Water
2 cloves garlic, minced finely or pressed through a garlic press
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne, cumin and paprika to taste
chopped parsley (a good handful or more)

Put the raw tahina in a bowl, and whisk a little. Add the lemon juice and continue whisking. At this point the paste will thicken and be difficult to mix. Add the garlic and spices. Slowly add the water (you may need a little more or a little less depending of the tahina you have and the weather). The water will make the mixture loosen. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes shiny, uniform and smooth. Add salt to taste and the parsley.

Lick the spoon as if it's chocolate frosting (okay I admit it might take a little cultivation for that to happen)

Pour over steamed or roasted vegetables, or use as dip for fresh vegetables and bread.


A slightly more obscure Israeli food is called the Krembo (קרמבו) it is the bigger brother of the mallowmar, and slightly more bizzare. The krembo is only available in the winter (it wouldn't last long in the heat of the summer), it is a cookie base with a mound of marshmalllowy fluff/meringue on top. The entire endeavor is dipped in chocolate. The filling can be coffee flavored (pictured) or vanilla. I'm not entirely sure I like krembos. But I don't dislike them, and something about them intrigues me. The best way to eat them is to freeze them for a while, the filling has a much more interesting texture after a few hours in the freezer. Krembos are made by one of the big ice cream companies, and are hence called "winter ice cream" by real fans. The term may also harken back to a time when Israel's economy wasn't so developed, and ice cream production was probably effected.



Enjoy the tahina, and I'll enjoy a krembo in your honor, before they go off the shelves next week.