🥗 STARTER
Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip)
Sesame tahini whisked with lemon juice, lukewarm water, garlic and olive oil until pale, thick and creamy, the dip that opens every Cypriot meze with warm bread, pitta and olives.
Cypriot · easy · serves 6
prep 10 min · cook 0 min
~339 cal · 7g protein · 11g carbs · 32g fat · 4g fiber · 1g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
↓ Jump to Recipe
AI-generated illustration
dip is one of the first dishes to arrive at a Cypriot meze, set down with warm bread, pitta and a bowl of olives before the grilled meats and other small plates follow. In Cyprus the sesame paste itself is often called tashi, and it is made from hulled, toasted sesame seeds; it most likely came to the island from the Middle East, where it is still a staple.
The dip is simple and depends on the whisking. is stirred and then loosened gradually with water and lemon juice. At first it seizes and thickens, then, as more liquid goes in, it turns pale, smooth and creamy. Crushed garlic, olive oil and salt finish it, and a scattering of parsley goes on top.
It is thick enough to scoop with bread but loose enough to drop from a spoon. Beyond the meze table, Cypriots spoon it over souvlaki and sheftalia and into pitta.
Saved recipes and passport stamps are kept on this device. Sign in to keep them across your devices and leave reviews.
Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
- 250 g
- 180 ml lukewarm water
- from 2 to 3 lemons (about 100 ml) lemon juice
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- to taste sea salt
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1Stir the tahini in its jar to mix in any oil, then put it in a bowl.
- 2Whisk in the lukewarm water and the lemon juice a little at a time. It will thicken and look split at first; keep whisking and it turns smooth.✎ Chef’s noteAdd the liquid slowly. The dip should end up thick and creamy but loose enough to drop off a spoon.
- 3Add the garlic and keep whisking until the tahini turns pale and creamy.
- 4Whisk in the olive oil and salt, and a little more lemon juice to taste.
- 5Spread in a shallow bowl, sprinkle with parsley and serve with warm bread or pitta and olives.
Cypriot meze tradition.
Ratings & reviews
Cooked it? Rate this dish:
No account needed. Sign in to leave a full review with a comment.
Cooked it?
Kept on this device, no account needed. Sign in to leave a review and keep your passport across your devices.
No reviews yet, be the first to cook it.
🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Nicosia. Kleftiko takes its name from klefti, meaning stolen. Shepherds are said to have sealed meat into a pit dug in a hillside so that no smoke would give them away, and the modern version keeps the principle: lamb sealed in a covered oven for hours until it falls off the bone.
🗺️
Cyprus. The flavour that marks Cypriot cooking out from Greek and Turkish is coriander seed rather than the leaf, crushed into afelia, pork marinated in red wine, and into loukaniko sausage, lountza and the olives cracked with lemon. Kleftiko takes its name from klefti, thief, and is lamb sealed in a clay oven so no smoke gives it away.
🌍
Europe. Europe has written a great deal of its food into law. A regulation of 1992 created the protected designation of origin and the protected geographical indication, tying a name to a place and a method, and an EU evaluation published in 2021 counted more than three thousand registered names across those schemes, from cheeses and hams down to particular shapes of bread.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Cyprus
SheftaliaHerby caul-wrapped sausages of pork and onion, charcoal-grilled and tucked into pita with salad.
Halloumi and EggsSlices of grilled halloumi with fried eggs and fresh tomato, the classic Cypriot breakfast.
KoupesTorpedo-shaped bulgur shells stuffed with spiced minced meat and onion, fried crisp, a favorite Cypriot snack-lunch.
Browse all Cyprus recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Whisk.
Storing it: Best the day it is made. Wrap well and refresh in a warm oven, or freeze and reheat straight from frozen.
Make it a Cyprus meal
Cypriot Brandy SourDrink
LoukoumadesDessert
Similar dishes from around the world
Pindžur (Macedonian Roasted Pepper, Eggplant and Tomato Spread)North Macedonia
Bigilla (Maltese Broad Bean Dip)Malta
Speca me Maze (Kosovar Peppers in Kajmak Cream)Kosovo
Zacuscă (Moldovan Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Spread)Moldova
Bruschetta al Pomodoro (Tomato Bruschetta)Italy
Shafoot (Yemeni Flatbread in Herbed Yogurt)Yemen
Cuisine
Diet
Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World
Vegan Recipes from Around the World
Gluten-Free Recipes from Around the World
Dairy-Free Recipes from Around the World
Nut-Free Recipes from Around the World
Egg-Free Recipes from Around the World
Pork-Free Recipes from Around the World
Vegetarian Cypriot Recipes
Dairy-Free Cypriot Recipes
Frequently asked questions
What is Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip)?
Sesame tahini whisked with lemon juice, lukewarm water, garlic and olive oil until pale, thick and creamy, the dip that opens every Cypriot meze with warm bread, pitta and olives.
Where does Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) come from?
Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) is a Cypriot dish from Nicosia, Cyprus.
Can Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Tahinosalata (Cypriot Tahini Dip) take to make?
About 10 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 0 minutes cooking), serving 6.
Get the Sunday Spin
One dish from somewhere in the world, in your inbox every Sunday. No spam, just dinner inspiration you can cook that day.