Most, if not all, recipes that feature tahini don’t specify whether to use the hulled or unhulled type. Should I assume it’s always the hulled one, unless otherwise stipulated? And would you use a specific type for a particular dish? I’m not sure they’re interchangeable, because there seems to be a distinctive taste difference.
John, London SE23
I’m delighted by this question, because I think I’m usually way too prescriptive and unwavering about tahini, so the fact that you find me vague on the matter makes me smile.

Putting on my prescriptive hat (again), though, I feel so strongly about tahini, because there is such a range, from the bitter and claggy to the smooth, nutty and creamy. Tahini is just sesame seeds ground to a paste, and, as with all seeds and nuts, there is such a variety in what you end up with (think, say, how different one walnut can taste from the next, from rancid to wonderful).

Presuming we’re both team smooth, nutty and creamy, it is indeed the hulled sesame seed tahini you want – to be precise, hulled Ethiopian humera sesame, which produces a reliably delicious paste. Bodrum tahini, meanwhile, is often labelled with the word “hulled”, and is generally speaking anything from the Levant (as opposed to Cypriot tahini), and will be creamy and smooth, too.

The best test, of course, is to taste the tahini. It should be runny, smooth and delicious to eat by the spoonful just as it is or to drizzle on ice-cream, toast, porridge or roast vegetables. If it’s not creamy, rich and non-claggy straight from the jar, it’s not going to become any more creamy, rich and non-claggy once it’s added to a dish.

In terms of brands, I tend to go for Al Arz, though Belazu, which is stocked in many larger supermarkets, also produces a great one. Once you’ve found one you love, it’s then open sesame!