In the past, finding tahini paste would nearly be impossible unless you went into a specialty store.
Today, with the rise in knowledge about tahini, more and more markets are carrying it.
It’s not just one or two brands that produce tahini, but several, which means finding tahini has never been easier.
Where to Buy Tahini (Online Stores)
There is no doubt how advantageous buying online can be, especially if you can’t find a tahini product in-store.
Buying tahini online means you don’t have to ask some clueless worker or search for it yourself.
Here are some of the best places to turn to buy a tahini product:
Wal-Mart
This store is the most common place people turn to for purchasing their foods and household goods.
Wal-Mart’s website offers various brands – more than what you’d seen in the actual store – with prices ranging from $4 to $24.
Whether you want something low in price or high-quality, the Wal-Mart website will have it.
Another great thing about using its website is that you can buy your products online and then pick them up at the store. There’s no wait and no shipping with this method of shopping.
Makolet
Another great online store is Makolet Online, which is an Israeli store that ensures its products are genuine and tasty.
Currently, there are more than 10 varieties of tahini on its website.
Vitacost
This is another great place to turn when you want to buy your tahini online.
Like Makolet, it also has more than 10 tahini varieties and is the only online store to offer black sesame tahini.
Vitacost also offers six organic tahinis, one of which includes garlic.
Where to Buy Tahini (Brick-and-Mortar Stores)
If you’d rather see a product up close in a store, reading everything listed on the label, then going to a brick-and-mortar store may be the best option for you.
In the past, it was mainly Mediterranean and health food stores that had tahini products.
Today, tahini brands can be found in nearly all the stores you already shop at.
Here are some commonly shopped stores you can find tahini products at:
Wal-Mart
This is the first store people think of because there is a Wal-Mart in nearly every U.S. town or close to everyone.
A Wal-Mart can carry more than one or two brands of a product to ensure variety and price.
The same goes for tahini products. You can find the best tahini you want at a price you can afford.
Whole Foods
Another popular chain food store is Whole Foods, which mainly carries natural and organic products.
They also carry a product that uses raw sesame seeds.
Bear in mind that buying tahini products from Whole Foods will cost you more than Wal-Mart but the focus on offering high-end quality products.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s offers its shoppers one of the cheapest tahini brands in its store, focusing mainly on its store-name brand.
For example, a 10oz jar of tahini runs $4.
If you want tahini to be your dish’s key star, you want to go for something authentic that won’t break the wallet.
Since Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer these products online, you’ll need to visit the store to take advantage of the savings.
Where Can You Find Tahini Paste in the Grocery Store
There’s no reason to chase down a store associate to help you find tahini paste in the grocery store.
If you’re wondering where you can find tahini paste in your local grocery store, the answer is going to be where you can find other seed and nut butters or the international section.
The only exception is raw tahini, which is generally in the refrigerated section near the baby ghanoush and hummus.
Most big-name stores will carry tahini because of its popularity. However, if you want to avoid Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s and other well-known stores, you may want to go for local Mediterranean groceries.
Since tahini is a Mediterranean dish staple, local stores are liable to have it in stock.
The Best Tahini Paste Brands
When it comes to quality products, you may be hesitant to try tahini paste. This is understandable.
When looking for a product, you’re going to look at three key indicators:
- Quality
- Price
- Resourcefulness
However, you also want to consider its flavor profile.
Do you want something light or bitter?
Remember, bitter tahini is the result of using hulled sesame seeds. Not only do you have a more intense flavor, but you also have a higher calcium content.
Unhulled seeds make for light tahini, and if you want this type of tahini, stick with organic. The chemical process that de-hulls the sesame seeds can significantly impact the flavor.
Raw tahini creates the lightest tahini flavor because it does not go through any roasting process.
It’s advised not to use raw tahini in baking since there would be no flavor to it. It, however, is better as a salad dressing which is where the light nature tahini works.
What are the best tahini paste brands you should try?
Soom Premium Tahini
The best choice in tahini products is Soom Premium Tahini, as it’s got a very smooth flavor that works in both sweet and savory recipes.
It contains a single ingredient – sesame seeds – sourced from Ethiopia.
Soom is also family-owned and run by women only – something you generally do not see these days.
Al Arz Tahini
This tahini brand is great for three reasons – price, availability and usefulness.
Al Arz Tahini can be found in Wal-Mart and other U.S. stores. It was founded in 1992 in Nazareth, Israel and is also family-owned.
It’s got a genuine flavor to it that works in any sweet or savory dish.
The brand offers both organic and natural options to choose from.
- Baron’s Organic Tahini
What’s great about the Baron’s Organic Tahini is that it has little to no oil on the top.
You also don’t have to do much stirring to get it smooth and creamy.
The majority of tahinis are pressure, but Baron’s has been stoneground – something that was traditionally down to tahini.