Tahini roll

Summary

A tahini roll or tahini bread roll is a sweet pastry found commonly in the cuisines of Arab countries, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

Tahini roll
Alternative namesTahinopitta, Tahinli çörek
TypeSweet roll
Place of originArmenia
Region or stateSouth Caucasus, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Levant
Main ingredientsDough, tahini, sugar, cinnamon

They are a popular street food in Cyprus.[1] In the Cypriot capital of Nicosia, street vendors with carts or bikes, as well as bakeries sell tahini rolls.[2]

Its name varies by location. In Arab countries it is known as khubz tahini.[3] The Armenian name is Թահինով Հաց. In the Greek language it is known as ταχινόπιττα (tahinopitta) or τασιηνόπιττα (tasinopitta); in Cypriot Greek the pronunciation is "tashinopita" with a "sh" sound as opposed to "h" in mainland Greek.[4] In the Turkish language, the general term is tahinli çörek, although in Cypriot Turkish it is known simply as tahınlı or tahınnı.[5]

The dough includes sugar and oil and has a texture between a bread and a cookie. It is leavened with yeast and can be baked after the first rise.[3] Sometimes the pastry may be soaked in syrup of sugar or honey, and flavored with cinnamon.[1]

Tahini rolls are made by rolling the dough flat, spreading it with the tahini mixture, sprinkling with sugar, and rolling into a log shape. The dough is then sliced into smaller pieces and flattened to form a circle.

According to Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, the pastry originates in Armenia.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Waverman, Lucy (30 June 2015). "Recipe: Traditional Cypriot tahini pies". The Globe and Mail.
  2. ^ Çavuşoğlu, Mehmet; Çavuşoğlu, Olena (2018). "Gastronomi Turizmi ve Kıbrıs Sokak Lezzetleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma". Güncel Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2 (Ek 1): 644.
  3. ^ a b Perry, Charles (18 April 2007). "Tahini Cookies". Los Angeles times.
  4. ^ Drogari, Eleni. "Dancing the self: Cypriot sociocultural identity and contemporary choreography" (PDF). Roehampton University.
  5. ^ Kabataş, Orhan (2007). Kıbrıs Türkçesinin etimolojik sözlüğü. Kıbrıs Türk Yazarlar Birliği. p. 536.
  6. ^ Brehaut, Laura (10 July 2020). "Cook this: Kubez el tahineh — sweet tahini rolls — from Falastin". National Post.