Fascinated by my tongue’s strange change of opinion, I tasted tahini pies again and again that second summer, and each time, the once-strange sesame flavor grew on me; I liked it more and more, and pretty soon this pastry was one of my favorite Cypriot treats.
In fact, I loved tahini pie so much that, ever since then, my professor would bring a Zorbas tahini pie back with him to the States—just for me—every time he returned from his summer in Cyprus. Sometimes the well-traveled tahini pie would get a little freezer-burned in the months before I could visit my former professor to claim my sweet treat, but to me, it still tasted familiar and comforting—like a taste of home. (Take that, Cinnabon!)
Still, nothing beats a fresh tahini pie, which is why it was the very first pastry I bought at Zorbas this year. I walked right past the Cinnabon stand in the mall (yes, they have them here in Cyprus too) and went to the first Zorbas I saw. And in the months since then, I’ve been back many, many times. Tahini pies will always have a special place in my heart—and my mouth and stomach! Maybe my New Year’s resolution for 2019 should be to eat 2,019 kilograms (4,451 pounds) of tahini pie. What do you think? Yes? Challenge accepted!
The making of tahini pies begins long before Zorbas bakery gets involved. First comes the making of the tahini itself. Have you ever tried tahini before? Perhaps at a Greek or Middle Eastern restaurant? If so, you probably noticed that it tastes like sesame seeds, which are its main ingredient. Tahini is made from sesame seeds that have been ground into a paste rather like peanut butter. It’s quite healthy (and tasty—though I didn’t like it at first)!
