Tahini means "to grind", the same root as , "flour" in some dialects. There is also a sweet spread made from it called Halawa Taḥīniyya , which roughly translates as sweet Tahini. It is also known to be a type of Halva and sometimes has mashed or sliced pistachio pieces sprinkled inside or on top of it. Usually it is spread on bread and eaten as a quick snack. The word "tahini" appeared in English by the late 1930s. Plain, unprocessed sesame paste with no added ingredients is sometimes known as raw tahini. The oldest mention of sesame is in a
Ali Baba's Tahini who, along with Umphrey's McGee, performed a number of Ali Baba's Tahini songs in concert. The band recorded Rockstars and Lawnmowers with former Mother Vinegar bassist Jeff Hinkle. Ali Baba's Tahini has been hard at work on their new release, slated for Spring '09, which will feature new member and songwriter, Justin W. Powell (The Mantras) on keyboards. A mini-tour through the midwest followed shortly after the release of Living Room. ABT also did a one off appearance at Summercamp Music Festival to a crowd of over 4000 in 2011. Ali Baba's Tahini performed a benefit show for Michael Welter