The Tahini Cappuccino Tip Alon Shaya Swears By - Exclusive
Making or buying a flavored syrup is one of the simplest ways to add flavor to your coffee. If you're looking for some inspiration, we ranked 12 coffee syrup brands from worst to best (with Monin nabbing the top spot) as well as our favorite Torani syrup flavors, where we waxed poetic about vanilla and sugar-free hazelnut. But, if you're looking to take your cup of joe in a more unique flavor direction, James Beard award-winning chef and cookbook author Alon Shaya has a hot tip for you: Make your own tahini syrup.
During the Nassau Paradise Island Wine and Food Fest, Tasting Table caught up with the celebrity chef to figure out exactly how he does it. "I take tahini, sugar, and water, cook it down, and make a syrup out of it," Shaya said. "Then I add that to my milk and foam that. It's super good." Shaya recommends adding this type of syrup to a cappuccino specifically, but we think it could work in other types of coffee too.
Tahini grounds your cappuccino in savory flavor
Although it's not a common pairing in the U.S., it makes sense that tahini and coffee would be a natural marriage. A paste containing toasted sesame seeds, oil, and a little salt, tahini has a nutty, earthy flavor that pairs well with the notes in java. When you combine it with sugar to make the syrup Shaya suggested, you effectively balance out the savory flavors with sweet ones, so your coffee addition won't have the saccharine taste of a typical coffee syrup. Plus, tahini has a good dose of protein, fiber, copper, and selenium, so it can give your morning cup of joe a nutritious upgrade.
You can make this process as easy as possible by buying a jar of tahini at the grocery store — and if you're not sure where to start, we've rounded up 13 of our favorites tahini brands. However, it's also pretty simple to make at home; you just need to toast sesame seeds and blitz them with the other two ingredients. Whether you own an espresso machine or you're using a handheld frother to make your cappuccino, you can simply stir a little tahini syrup in with your milk before you insert the steaming wand or frother. It would also be delicious stirred directly into a hot or iced coffee, latte, or other java-filled drink with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.