Tahini A paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish and Middle Easterncuisine. Tahini is made from sesame seeds that are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste