TAHINI

Not just for hummus, tahini paste is great in sweet and savoury dishes

- DIANA HENRY

Good Food contributing editor Diana Henry is an award-winning food writer. Her latest book is How to Eat a Peach (Mitchell Beazley). For more of Diana's recipes, go to bbcgoodfoodme.com. @dianahenryfood

Until 1982, I didn't know about tahini's existence. I'd just moved to London from Northern Ireland, and a Turkish shop near me - it sold everything from pails of black olives to washing-up liquid - had jars of it. I looked at it quizzically, bought it and, later when I tried it, couldn't understand how this sludge-colored liquid could ever taste good. It had a bitter undertow, but I loved its silkiness and weight; it has the thickness and texture of double cream. Now, I often have two jars on the go (because one always gets lost in the depths of my larder).

I started to use tahini more after I bought Claudia Roden's A Book of Middle Eastern Food (Penguin) and learnt that when it's mixed with water, lemon juice and garlic, it makes an instant sauce for fish, lamb kebabs, roast summer veg or poached winter produce. And this simple sauce serves as a base for many others - you can whizz parsley or coriander into it, add yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, chillies or torn mint, sweeten it with honey or purée it with aubergine flesh. I love to spoon it over a warm salad of roast aubergines and chopped dates (its slight bitterness is delicious with dates). Of course, it's an essential ingredient in hummus too, which is probably how we eat it most.