Most tahini has a dense, spackle-heavy layer and an inch of oil that are impossible to blend smooth because the product is not fresh.
“We found that because tahini has a long shelf life, the grocery store stuff is sitting on shelves for a while,” explains Soom Foods co-founder and CEO Amy Zitelman, who runs the company along with her sisters Shelby Zitelman and Jackie Zitelman. “We try to press our tahini every 6 to 8 weeks, so it's very fresh, and Jackie tastes every batch of tahini for quality assurance.” And to ensure a creamy consistency, the company sources only White Humera sesame seeds from northwestern Ethiopia that have an ideal oil-to-protein ratio for blending into tahini.