Tahini United States, sesame tahini, along with other raw nut butters, was available by 1940 in health food stores. Tahini is made from sesame seeds that are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste. Because of tahini's high oil content, many manufacturers recommend refrigeration to prevent spoilage. This is particularly true among makers of raw, organic tahini, who will often prepare their tahini at low temperatures
Yellow soybean paste the modern day, and potassium sorbate may be used as a preservative. Yellow soybean paste is used most notably in the noodle dish called "zhajiang mian" ("fried sauce noodles"), in which the yellow soybean paste is fried together with ground pork, then poured over the top of thick wheat flour noodles. Outside of Beijing, sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce is often mixed with or used in place of the condiment, thus giving the dish a sweeter taste. Yellow soybean paste is widely available in China, as well as in Chinese grocery stores overseas, and comes in plastic packages, bottled