Sesame

Sesame is an upright annual plant growing about one to two metres tall, with tubular white to pale pink flowers that develop into narrow capsules. Each capsule splits at maturity to release dozens of small flat seeds, a trait that makes harvesting tricky. The seeds are white, tan, brown, red or black, depending on the variety, and the hull can be removed for a milder flavour. Toasting greatly deepens the aroma. Sesame is drought-tolerant and thrives in warm, dry climates.

The origin of sesame is debated, but the crop was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent and likely independently in Africa, where wild relatives are native. Archaeological evidence from the Indus Valley suggests cultivation more than 4,000 years ago, and it was known in Mesopotamia and Egypt in antiquity. Today India, Myanmar, Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria and China are major producers, with Ethiopia and other African countries exporting large amounts of white-seeded types. The plant grows in tropical and subtropical regions with long, hot growing seasons.

Sesame is among the earliest plants cultivated for oil. Records from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and India mention it as a food, medicine and source of lamp oil. The phrase 'open sesame' in the tale of Ali Baba is thought to refer to the way ripe sesame pods burst open. Roman and Greek cooks used the seeds in bread and sweets, and Arab traders spread them through the Mediterranean, where tahini and halva developed.

Sesame was brought to the Americas by enslaved West Africans, who called it benne and used it in cooking in the southern United States, where it remains part of Lowcountry cuisine. In East Asia, sesame oil and the seeds became central to Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking. Today the crop is farmed worldwide, and breeding for non-shattering capsules has made mechanical harvest more practical.

Sesame seeds top breads, bagels, buns and crackers, and are used in tahini, hummus, halva, gomashio, furikake, dukkah and za'atar. They are ground into sweets such as Indian til laddu and Greek pasteli, or coated on chicken and fish. Toasted sesame oil is a seasoning in East Asian cooking, while light, untoasted oil is used for frying. Black sesame is used in pastes, desserts and ice cream. Seeds can be toasted in a dry pan until fragrant.

Sesame seeds are high in fat, mostly unsaturated, and supply protein, fibre, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium and iron. Hulled seeds have less calcium and fibre than unhulled ones. They contain lignans such as sesamin and sesamolin, which are being studied. Like most seeds, they are small in portion size but nutrient-dense, and can be a useful addition to dishes made with grains and vegetables. Grinding or toasting helps release nutrients since whole seeds may pass through the gut intact.