tahini substitute?

[BerryGirl]

DH wants me to make Alissa's banana cream pie recipe, and it calls for tahini. I know our local store has tahini, but I seriously doubt it's raw. Is there any raw substitute for tahini? What purpose does it serve in the pie? Thanks everyone!

[Shivananda]

Is there any raw substitute for tahini? What purpose does it serve in the pie? Well, if you don't have access to raw tahini, you could always make your own. Tahini is basically ground sesame seeds, and is used for its creamy texture or as a thickener. I've made my own in my auger juicer with a blank plate, or substituted cashew butter.

FYI, the following from OChef details the traditional way of making tahini, which was no, not raw:

Q - What is tahini?

A - Think peanut butter, only made with sesame seeds. To make tahini, sesame seeds are soaked in water for a day, then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are put into salted water, where the bran sinks, but the kernels float and are skimmed off the surface. They are toasted, then ground to produce their oily paste. There are two types of tahini, light and dark, and the light ivory version is considered to have both the best flavor and texture.

Tahini is most closely associated with the Middle East, where it is eaten as is, and often used in making hummus (mashed chickpeas, flavored with lemon juice and garlic), baba ghanoush (a purée of eggplant, lemon juice, garlic, and oil), halvah (a confection that includes honey or cane syrup), and other traditional dishes.

Some people say it reminds them of peanut butter, which you can substitute for it if you want. But we wouldn’t.