| Alternative names | Tahinopitta, Tahinli çörek |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweet roll |
| Place of origin | South Caucasus, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey |
| Main ingredients | Dough, tahini, sugar, cinnamon |
A tahini roll or tahini bread roll is a sweet pastry found commonly in the cuisines of Arab countries, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.
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]
