What is the Difference Between Hummus and Tahini

June 2023 · 4 minute read

The main difference between hummus and tahini is that hummus is a paste made from ground sesame seeds while hummus is a paste made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and olive oil.

Both hummus and tahini are two healthy dips or spreads originating from Middle Eastern cuisine. These are healthy, vegan dishes you can easily make at home.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Tahini
     – Definition, Features 
2. What is Hummus
     – Definition, Features
3. Relationship Between Hummus and Tahini
     – Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Hummus and Tahini
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Dips, Hummus, TahiniDifference Between Hummus and Tahini - Comparison Summary

What is Tahini

Tahini is a spread or a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini is a popular dish in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The main ingredient of tahini is sesame seeds. You can use both roasted seeds and raw seeds for this recipe. It has a thick and oily texture, similar to natural peanut butter. Although tahini resembles peanut butter in appearance, it does not have the same taste. Tahini has an earthy, nutty flavour with a tinge of bitterness. Tahini made with roasted seeds usually tastes milder than tahini made with raw seeds. You can use tahini as a dip for raw vegetables, as a salad dressing, spread on toast, etc. You can even eat it alone. Tahini is also a main ingredient in hummus.

Main Difference - Hummus vs Tahini

Hot to Make Tahini

Making tahini is quite simple and involves only a few steps. You only need two main ingredients: sesame seeds and oil. Make sure to choose an oil with a neutral flavour like avocado oil, vegetable oil, and grape seed oil. First, turn the seeds into a crumbly paste using a food processor. Then add a few spoons of oil and process into a smooth cream.

What is Hummus

Hummus is a thick paste or spread made from ground chickpeas and tahini. It has its origin in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Middle Eastern cuisine, it is mainly eaten as a dip, with pita bread. Tahini is made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. These are all healthy, vegan ingredients. Some people also add spices and other ingredients like caramelized onions and parsley to hummus in order to enhance its flavour.

 Difference Between Hummus and Tahini

How to Make Hummus

Like tahini, hummus is also very easy to make at home. But it has more ingredients: cooked chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. All you have to do is add these ingredients into a food processor and blend them.

Relationship Between Hummus and Tahini

Difference Between Hummus and Tahini

Definition

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds while hummus is a paste made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and olive oil.

Ingredients

Sesame seeds and oil are the ingredients in tahini while chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice are the ingredients in hummus.

Taste

Tahini has an earthy, nutty flavour with a tinge of bitterness while hummus has a rich, umami taste with a tinge of garlic flavour. 

Conclusion

In brief, hummus and tahini are two healthy dips or spreads originating from Middle Eastern cuisine. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds while hummus is a paste made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and olive oil. Thus, this is the main difference between hummus and tahini.

Reference:

1. Fayed, Saad. “A Middle Eastern Favorite: Tahini Skews Savory or Sweet.” The Spruce Eats, Available here.
2. Zelman, Kathleen M. “Hummus: Ingredients, Recipe, and Benefits.” WebMD, 11 Nov. 2020, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Hummus Dip (30863436677)” By Ella Olsson from Stockholm, Sweden – Hummus Dip, CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “lemon tahini sauce” By Jules (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

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