Organic Tahini: nutritional value and how we can use it in making our diet healthier

How is tahini produced

Our tahini suppliers is Samythos, in northern Greece. All the Samythos tahinis are organic. Samythos is a new vertically integrated company producing homemade Greek superfoods. Established in Alexandroupoli and with its production line in the northern eastern county Evros, Samythos manufactures traditional and innovative sesame seed products using cutting edge methods. They use the Evros variety of sesame seed and it grows exclusively on Samythos’ mountainous and organic farmland, which is within the Natura network region; one of the European Ecological Network of regions which are home to rare and threatened flora and fauna.
Under strict supervision and through the combination of a low yield and mountainous microclimate, they produce certified organic sesame seeds with the highest quality characteristics (essential oils, vitamins, minerals & enzymes). They harvest, sort, wash and dry the seeds by hand to minimize the risk of damaging the seed, which would compromise its quality. Samythos is certified for its organic production of sesame seeds and tahini.

Tahini free of biological (salmonella) and chemical (aflatoxins) hazards

Samythos is the only company in this field with the aflatoxin, salmonella and gluten free labelling on all they labels thanks to their strict controls at all stages of production.
The mycotoxins are naturally occurring substances produced by the fungi Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. Eight of the 300 mycotoxins identified are consistently found in the food chain and pose serious health risks worldwide. Aflatoxins are the most common toxic mycotoxin found in food, such as in sesame, nuts, grains, dried fruits and spices. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified aflatoxins as class 1 carcinogens for humans.
Salmonella bacteria is the number one danger for sesame seeds. Salmonella ‘loves’ sesame seed’s oil and ‘likes’ high storage humidity and temperature. Salmonella is the type of bacteria that’s the most frequently reported cause of food-related illness in the United States. You can’t see, smell, or taste it.
We need to remember that Salmonella infections are very common. When people mention food poisoning, they’re usually talking about salmonella. Tens of millions of cases are reported around the world every year.
For these reasons, it is of utter importance to test tahini for these biological and chemical hazards.

Four tahini products by Samythos

Samythos is producing four tahini products. Namely:
• Organic Tahini Raw – Naturally dried – Wholegrain – Unhulled
• Organic Tahini Wholegrain – Unhulled – Cold Pressed
• Organic Tahini Wholegrain – Unhulled – Cold Pressed with Organic Raw Honey & Spices
• Organic Tahini Wholegrain with Black Garlic

You can read more about these four tahini products here by clicking on “product details” for each one of them.

Tahini: a super food for a healthy diet

Tahini has high nutritional value for these reasons:
1. It is highly nutritious
2. It is rich in antioxidants (compounds that reduce inflammation in our body)
3. It reduces the risk of a number of diseases
4. It has antibacterial properties
5. It contains a number anti-inflammatory compounds
6. It strengthens the central nervous system
7. It has anticancer activities
8. It protects liver and kidney function

One tablespoon (15 grams) of tahini contains the following:
• Calories: 90 calories
• Protein: 3 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbs: 3 grams
• Fiber: 1 gram
• Thiamine: 13% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin B6: 11% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 11% of the DV
• Manganese: 11% of the DV

The % DV is how much a nutrient in a single serving of an individual packaged food or dietary supplement contributes to your daily diet.

Tahini recipes

Tahini is delicious and it can be used in a number of foods, such as salad dressings, dips, yoghurts, hummus. You can also use it in roasting lamb, ham and chicken to paste the meat.

Here you can find some ideas to use tahini when cooking.