Sesame

The word "sesame" is from Latin sesamum and Greek σήσαμον: sēsamon; which in turn are derived from ancient Semitic languages such as Akkadian šamaššamu.{{cite dictionary |entry=Teel, Sesame |date=15 October 2023 |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sesame |title=Definition of SESAME }} From these roots, words with the generalized meaning "oil, liquid fat" were derived.{{cite book |title=Sesame: The genus Sesamum |editor-last=Bedigian |editor-first=Dorothea |year=2010 |page=400 |isbn=978-1-4200-0520-2 |publisher=CRC Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9PLBQAAQBAJ&q=sesame+from+arabic+semsem&pg=PA400}}

The word "benne" was first recorded in English in 1769; it comes from the African American creole Gullah benne, which in turn derives from Malinke bĕne.{{cite web |last=Bryan |first=Sarah |title=Benne for Good Luck |url=https://www.ncfolk.org/2016/benne-for-good-luck/ |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=North Carolina Folklife Institute |date=2015}}

File:Leiden University Library - Seikei Zusetsu vol. 20, page 006 - 胡麻 - Sesamum indicum L., 1804.jpg agriculture encyclopedia, 1804]]

Sesame seed is considered to be the oldest oilseed crop known to humanity.{{cite book |last1=Ram |first1=Raghav |first2=David |last2=Catlin |first3=Juan |last3=Romero |first4=Craig |last4=Cowley |chapter=Sesame: New Approaches for Crop Improvement |pages=225–228 |editor1=Janick, J. |editor2=Simon, J.E. |title=Advances in new crops |location=Oregon |publisher=Timber Press |year=1990 |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/v1-225.html}} The genus has many species, and most are wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa.{{cite journal |last=Bedigian |first=Dorothea |title=Systematics and evolution in Sesamum L. (Pedaliaceae), part 1: Evidence regarding the origin of sesame and its closest relatives |journal=Webbia |publisher=University of Florence |volume=70 |issue=1 |date=2015-01-02 |doi=10.1080/00837792.2014.968457 |pages=1–42 |bibcode=2015Webbi..70....1B |s2cid=85002894}} Sesamum indicum, the cultivated type,{{cite book |first1=T. |last1=Ogasawara |first2=K. |last2=Chiba |first3=M. |last3=Tada |chapter=Sesamum indicum L. (Sesame): In Vitro Culture, and the Production of Naphthoquinone and Other Secondary Metabolites |title=Medicinal and Aromatic Plants X |editor=Y. P. S. Bajaj |publisher=Springer |date=1988 |isbn=978-3-540-62727-2}}Proceedings of the Harlan Symposium 1997- [http://www2.bioversityinternational.org/publications/Web_version/47/begin.htm The Origins of Agriculture and Crop Domestication] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527094040/http://www2.bioversityinternational.org/publications/Web_version/47/begin.htm |date=2012-05-27 }} Retrieved 2012-06-17 originated in India.{{Cite book |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C1H6_XWJS_gC&q=wild%2520sesame%2520native&pg=PA140 |title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Cultivated Plants in West Asia, Europe, and the Nile Valley |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |date=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-850357-6 |page=140}}

Archaeological remnants of charred sesame dating to about 3500-3050 BC shows that sesame was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent at least 5500 years ago.{{Cite journal |last1=Bedigian |first1=Dorothea |last2=Harlan |first2=Jack R. |date=1986 |title=Evidence for Cultivation of Sesame in the Ancient World |journal=Economic Botany |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=137–154 |doi=10.1007/BF02859136 |jstor=4254846 |bibcode=1986EcBot..40..137B |s2cid=24408335}}{{cite book |chapter=Sesame |title=Alternative Field Crops Manual |last1=Oplinger |first1=E.S. |last2=Putnam |first2=D.H. |last3=Kaminski |first3=A.R. |author4=C.V. Hanson |author5=E.A. Oelke |author6=E.E. Schulte |author7=J.D. Doll |display-authors=3 |publisher=Purdue University |date=May 1990 |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/sesame.html}} The archaeobotanist Dorian Q. Fuller states that trading of sesame between Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent occurred by 2000 BC.{{cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Dorian Q. |journal=Asian Agri-History |volume=7 |number=2 |date=2003 |pages=127–137 |title=Further Evidence on the Prehistory of Sesame |url=http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~tcrndfu/articles/Sesame2.pdf}} It is possible that the Indus Valley civilization exported sesame oil to Mesopotamia, where it was known as ilu in Sumerian and ellu in Akkadian, similar to the Dravidian languages Kannada and Malayalam eḷḷu, Tamil eḷ.{{Cite book |last=Martha |first=T. Roth |title=The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD) Volume 4, E |year=1958 |isbn=978-0-91-898610-8 |location=Chicago |page=106}}

Sesame was cultivated in ancient Egypt.{{cite book |last=David |first=Ann Rosalie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RulD63Y3BlAC |title=Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt |date=1999 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-513215-1 |page=168}} Egyptians called it sesemt, and it is included in the list of medicinal drugs in the scrolls of the {{circa}} 1550 BC Ebers Papyrus. Excavations of King Tutankhamen uncovered baskets of sesame among other grave goods, suggesting that sesame was present in Egypt by 1350 BC.{{Cite book |last1=Voeks |first1=Robert |title=African Ethnobotany in the Americas |last2=Rashford |first2=John |year=2013 |location=Springer, New York |pages=67–123}} Sesame was grown and pressed to extract oil at least 750 BC in the empire of Urartu. Others believe it may have originated in Ethiopia.{{cite book |last=Peter |first=K.V. |title=Handbook of herbs and spices Volume 2 |date=2012 |page=449}}

Historically, sesame was favored for its ability to grow in areas that do not support the growth of other crops. It is a robust crop that needs little farming support—it grows in drought conditions, in high heat, with residual moisture in soil after monsoons are gone or even when rains fail or when rains are excessive. It can be grown by subsistence farmers at the edge of deserts, earning it the name of survivor crop from the sesame breeder Derald Ray Langham.{{cite web |title=Phenology of Sesame |first=Derald Ray |last=Langham |publisher=American Sesame Growers Association |url=http://www.sesamegrowers.org/langham144-182.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628021818/http://www.sesamegrowers.org/langham144-182.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-28}}

Sesame is a perennial plant growing {{convert|50|to|100|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} tall, with opposite leaves {{convert|4|to|14|cm |in|abbr=on|0}} long with an entire margin; they are broad lanceolate, to {{convert |5 |cm |in |abbr=on}} broad, at the base of the plant, narrowing to just {{convert|1|cm|in|abbr=on}} broad on the flowering stem. The flowers are tubular, {{convert|2.5|to|3|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The flowers vary in colour, from white to pink or purple.{{cite web |title=Sesame |url=https://www.flower-db.com/en/flowers/sesamum-indicum |website=Flower Database |access-date=20 December 2024}}

The fruit is a capsule, normally pubescent. The length of the fruit capsule varies from {{convert|2 to 3|cm|in|abbr=on}}, its width varies between {{convert|0.6 and 1.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}; there are four locules. The seeds are either white or black.{{cite journal |last1=Wei |first1=Panpan |last2=Zhao |first2=Fenglan |last3=Wang |first3=Zhen |last4=Wang |first4=Qibao |last5=Chai |first5=Xiaoyun |last6=Hou |first6=Guige |last7=Meng |first7=Qingguo |display-authors=5 |title=Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.): A Comprehensive Review of Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Composition, Health Benefits, Development of Food, and Industrial Applications |journal=Nutrients |volume=14 |issue=19 |date=2022-09-30 |pmid=36235731 |pmc=9573514 |doi=10.3390/nu14194079 |doi-access=free |page=4079}}

Sesame seeds are small. Their sizes vary widely by cultivar. Typically, the seeds are 3 to 4×2×1 mm (0.12 to 0.16×0.08×0.04 in). The seeds are ovate, slightly flattened, and somewhat thinner at the eye of the seed (hilum) than at the opposite end. The mass of 100 seeds sampled from a market in Ibadan, Nigeria is 0.203 g, meaning that one gram of sesame consists of around 493 seeds.{{cite journal |last1=Tunde-Akintunde |first1=T. Y. |last2=Akintunde |first2=B. O. |date=2004-05-01 |title=Some Physical Properties of Sesame Seed |url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1537511004000236 |journal=Biosystems Engineering |volume=88 |issue=1 |pages=127–129 |doi=10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2004.01.009 |bibcode=2004BiSyE..88..127T|url-access=subscription }}

Sesame was described as the species Sesamum indicum by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.{{cite web |title=Sesamum indicum L. |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/3172622 |publisher=Global Biodiversity Information Facility |access-date=3 January 2025}}

File:Sesamum indicum 2.jpg |Plant

File:Sasame Plant, Behbahan.jpg |Flowers and seed capsules on plant

File:Sesame in Hainan - 05.JPG |Seed capsule

File:Sa white sesame seeds.jpg |Magnified image of white sesame seeds

Sesame varieties have adapted to many soil types. The high-yielding crops do best on fertile, well-drained, soils with a neutral pH. However, these have a low tolerance for soils with high salt and water-logged conditions. Commercial sesame crops require 90 to 120 frost-free days. Warm conditions above {{convert |23 |°C |°F}} favor growth and yields. While sesame crops can grow in poor soils, the best yields come from properly fertilized farms.{{cite web |title=Sesame: high value oilseed |publisher=Thomas Jefferson Agriculture Institute |year=2002 |url=http://www.extension.iastate.edu/alternativeag/cropproduction/pdf/sesame_crop_guide.pdf |access-date=2015-01-24 |archive-date=2023-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312094714/https://www.extension.iastate.edu/alternativeag/cropproduction/pdf/sesame_crop_guide.pdf |url-status=dead}}

Flowering depends on photoperiod and cultivar. The photoperiod also affects the seed's oil content: increased photoperiod increases oil content. The oil content of the seed is inversely proportional to its protein content. Sesame is drought-tolerant, in part due to its extensive root system. However, it requires adequate moisture for germination and early growth. While the crop survives drought and the presence of excess water, the yields are significantly lower in either condition. Moisture levels before planting and flowering affect yield the most. Most commercial cultivars of sesame are intolerant of waterlogging. Rainfall late in the season prolongs growth and increases loss to dehiscence, when the seedpod shatters, scattering the seed. Wind can also cause shattering at harvest.

Sesame seeds are protected by a capsule that bursts when the seeds are ripe. The time of this bursting, or "dehiscence", tends to vary, so farmers cut plants by hand and place them together in an upright position to continue ripening until all the capsules have opened. The 1943 discovery of an indehiscent mutant (analogous to nonshattering in cereals) led breeders to try to create a high-yield variety that does not drop its seeds. Despite some progress, dehiscence continues to limit production. Agronomists in Israel are working on modern cultivars of sesame that can be harvested by mechanical means.{{Cite news |title=A Global Sesame Shortage Puts Tahini in Peril. Can Israel Save It? |first=Ronit |last=Vered |date= 22 July 2022 |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-07-22/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/a-global-sesame-shortage-puts-tahini-in-peril-can-israel-save-it/00000182-2620-dfa9-a5c7-26ec51ab0000 |access-date=2023-02-08}}

Since sesame seed is small and flat, it is hard to dry after harvest because the seeds pack closely together, impeding the flow of air in a drying bin. Therefore, the harvested seeds need to be as dry as possible, and then stored at 6% moisture or less. Moist seed stores can rapidly heat up and become rancid.{{cite web |title=Sesame profile |first1=Ray |last1=Hansen |date=August 2011 |publisher=Agricultural Marketing Resource Center |url=http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/sesame-profile/ |first2=Diane |last2=Huntrods |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121203250/http://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/sesame-profile/ |archive-date=2016-01-21}}

In 2022, world production of sesame seeds was 6.7 million tonnes, led by Sudan, India, and Myanmar, which together accounted for 41% of the total (table).

The white and other lighter-colored sesame seeds are common in Europe, the Americas, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The black and darker-colored sesame seeds are mostly produced in China and Southeast Asia.{{Cite web |title=Sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds and oil meal |url=https://www.feedipedia.org/node/26 |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=www.feedipedia.org}}

In the United States most sesame is raised by farmers under contract to Sesaco, which also supplies proprietary seed.{{cite web |last=Latzke |first=Jennifer M. |title=Tiny sesame seed offers big returns for Southern Plains growers |url=https://www.hpj.com/crops/tiny-sesame-seed-offers-big-returns-for-southern-plains-growers/article_bf192233-34e2-539d-b316-b817e1b473fa.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910195546/https://www.hpj.com/crops/tiny-sesame-seed-offers-big-returns-for-southern-plains-growers/article_bf192233-34e2-539d-b316-b817e1b473fa.html |archive-date=10 September 2018 |publisher=High Plains Journal |access-date=15 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=Sesame Profile |url=https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/grains-oilseeds/sesame-profile |publisher=Agriculture Marketing Research Center |access-date=15 March 2021}}

Japan is the world's largest sesame importer. Sesame oil, particularly from roasted seed, is an important component of Japanese cooking and traditionally the principal use of the seed. China is the second-largest importer of sesame, mostly oil-grade. China exports lower-priced food-grade sesame seeds, particularly to Southeast Asia. Other major importers are the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, and France.{{Cite web |title=Japan Sesame Oil Market |url=https://www.industryarc.com/Research/japan-sesame-oil-market-report-700629 |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=IndustryARC}}

Sesame seed is a high-value cash crop. Prices ranged between US${{convert |800 and 1700 |/t}} between 2008 and 2010.{{cite web |title=Oil seed prices and futures |publisher=Commodity Prices |date=July 2010 |url=http://www.agricommodityprices.com/futures_prices.php?id=144 |access-date=2012-03-19 |archive-date=2020-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807025551/http://www.agricommodityprices.com/futures_prices.php?id=144 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Sesame |first=Mal |last=Bennett |publisher=Ag Market Research Center |url=http://www.agmrc.org/media/cms/sesame_38F4324EE52CB.pdf}} Prices depend on perceived quality, based on factors such as the seed's appearance, freedom from impurities, oil content of at least 40%, and sorting by size and colour.

{{Nutritional value

| name = Whole sesame seeds, dried

| caption = Whole, dried sesame seeds

| serving_size = 100 grams

| kJ = 2400

| carbs = 23.4

| fat = 49.7

| protein = 17.7

| sugars = 0.3

| satfat = 7.0

| monofat = 18.8

| polyfat = 21.8

| fiber = 11.8

| water = 4.7 g

| calcium_mg = 975

| iron_mg = 14.6

| phosphorus_mg = 629

| magnesium_mg = 351

| sodium_mg = 11

| potassium_mg = 468

| zinc_mg = 7.8

| vitA_iu = 9

| thiamin_mg = 0.79

| riboflavin_mg = 0.25

| niacin_mg = 4.52

| vitB6_mg = 0.79

| folate_ug = 97

| vitC_mg = 0

| vitE_mg = 0.25

| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170150/nutrients Link to USDA FoodData Central entry]

}}

Dried whole sesame seeds are 5% water, 23% carbohydrates, 50% fat, and 18% protein (table). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, dried sesame seeds supply 570 calories of food energy, and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of several B vitamins and dietary minerals, such as calcium, iron, and magnesium (all 75% or more of the DV, table).

The byproduct that remains after oil extraction from sesame seeds, also called sesame oil meal, is rich in protein (35–50%) and is used as feed for poultry and livestock.

As many seeds do, whole sesame seeds contain a significant amount of phytic acid, which is considered an antinutrient in that it binds to certain nutritional elements consumed at the same time, especially minerals, and prevents their absorption by carrying them along as they pass through the small intestine. Heating and cooking reduce the amount of the acid in the seeds.{{cite journal |pmc=2266880 |year=2008 |last1=Bohn |first1=L. |last2=Meyer |first2=A. S. |last3=Rasmussen |first3=S. K. |title=Phytate: Impact on environment and human nutrition. A challenge for molecular breeding |journal=Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=165–191 |doi=10.1631/jzus.B0710640 |pmid=18357620 }} The seeds contain the lignans sesamolin, sesamin, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol.{{cite journal |last1=Milder |first1=Ivon E. J. |last2=Arts |first2=Ilja C. W. |last3=Betty |last4=Venema |first4=Dini P. |last5=Hollman |first5=Peter C. H. |year = 2005 |title=Lignan contents of Dutch plant foods: a database including lariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol |journal=British Journal of Nutrition |volume=93 |issue=3 |pages=393–402 |doi=10.1079/BJN20051371 |pmid=15877880 | doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |year=2011 |volume=59 |issue=7 |pages=3214–3219 |doi=10.1021/jf104311g |title=Identification of methanol-soluble compounds in sesame and evaluation of antioxidant potential of its lignans |last1=Kuo |first1=Ping-Chung |last2=Lin |first2=Mei-Chi |last3=Chen |first3=Guo-Feng |last4=Yiu |first4=Tien-Joung |last5=Tzen |first5=Jason T. C. |pmid=21391595|bibcode=2011JAFC...59.3214K }}

A meta-analysis showed that sesame consumption produced small reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure;{{cite journal | last1=Khosravi-Boroujeni | first1=Hossein | last2=Nikbakht | first2=Elham | last3=Natanelov | first3=Ernesta | last4=Khalesi | first4=Saman |title=Can sesame consumption improve blood pressure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials |journal= Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture |volume=97 |issue=10 |pages=3087–94 |year=2017 |doi=10.1002/jsfa.8361 |pmid = 28387047 |bibcode=2017JSFA...97.3087K }} another demonstrated improvement in fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c.{{cite journal | last1=Sohouli | first1=Mohammad Hassan | last2=Haghshenas | first2=Niloufar | last3=Hernández-Ruiz | first3=Ángela | last4=Shidfar | first4=Farzad |title=Consumption of sesame seeds and sesame products has favorable effects on blood glucose levels but not on insulin resistance: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials |journal=Phytother Res |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=1126–1134 |date=January 2022 |pmid=35043479 |doi=10.1002/ptr.7379 |s2cid=246034854}} Sesame oil studies reported a reduction of oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation.{{cite journal |last1=Vittori Gouveia |first1=Luciana de Almeida |last2=Cardoso |first2=Carolina Alves |last3=de Oliveira |first3=Glaucia Maria Moraes |last4=Rosa |first4=Glorimar |last5=Moreira |first5=Annie Seixas Bello |title=Effects of the Intake of Sesame Seeds (Sesamum indicum L.) and Derivatives on Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review |journal=Journal of Medicinal Food |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=337–345 |year=2016 |doi=10.1089/jmf.2015.0075 |pmid=27074618 }}

{{main|Sesame allergy}}

Sesame can trigger the same allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, as seen with other food allergens.{{cite journal |last1=Adatia |first1=A |last2=Clarke |first2=AE |last3=Yanishevsky |first3=Y |last4=Ben-Shoshan |first4=M |title=Sesame allergy: current perspectives (Review) |journal=Journal of Asthma and Allergy |volume=10 |year=2017 |pmid=28490893 |pmc=5414576 |doi=10.2147/JAA.S113612 |pages=141–151 |doi-access=free }} A cross-reactivity exists between sesame and peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds.{{cite web |url=http://allergies.about.com/od/otherfoodallergies/a/sesameallergy.htm |title=Sesame seed allergy and cross-reactivity |publisher=VeryWell Health |date=4 October 2020 |access-date=7 October 2020 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717105804/http://allergies.about.com/od/otherfoodallergies/a/sesameallergy.htm |url-status=dead}} In addition to food products derived from sesame seeds, such as tahini and sesame oil, persons with sesame allergies are encouraged to be aware of foods that may contain sesame, such as baked goods.{{cite web |title=Sesame - A priority food allergen |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/reports-publications/food-safety/sesame-priority-food-allergen.html |publisher=Health Canada, Government of Canada |date=2017 |access-date=7 October 2020}} In addition to food sources, individuals allergic to sesame have been warned that a variety of non-food sources may also trigger a reaction to sesame, including cosmetics and skin-care products.

Prevalence of sesame allergy is on the order of 0.1–0.2%, but higher in countries in the Middle East and Asia where consumption is more common as part of traditional diets. In the United States, sesame allergy possibly affects 1.5 million individuals.{{cite news |first=Minali |last=Nigam |title=1.5 million people in the US might have sesame allergies |work=CNN |date=5 August 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/05/health/sesame-allergy-us-study/index.html?no-st=1569530150 |access-date=7 October 2020}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00575-0/fulltext |title=US prevalence of peanut and sesame allergy |journal =Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |volume=125 |issue=6 |pages=1322–1326 |doi=10.1016/j.jaci.2010.03.029 |pmid=20462634 |date=June 2010 |last1=Sicherer |first1=Scott H. |last2=Muñoz-Furlong |first2=Anne |last3=Godbold |first3=James H. |last4=Sampson |first4=Hugh A. |doi-access=free|url-access=subscription }}

Canada requires sesame to be labelled as an allergen. In the European Union, identifying the presence of sesame, along with 13 other foods, either as an ingredient or an unintended contaminant in packaged food is compulsory.{{cite web |title=Regulation (EG) 1169/2011 (Annex II) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169 |publisher=Eur-Lex - European Union Law, European Union |date=25 October 2011 |access-date=7 October 2020}} In the United States, the FASTER Act mandated labeling{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/578/text |title=Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 or the FASTER Act of 2021 |date=4 April 2021 |website=Congress.gov |access-date=5 March 2022}} from 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergies/food-allergy-essentials/common-allergens/sesame |title=Sesame Allergy |website=FARE |access-date=5 March 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/news/sesame-the-9th-food-allergen/ |title=Sesame Allergy and Food Labels |website=Allergy & Asthma Network |access-date=5 March 2022}}

Contamination by Salmonella, E.coli, pesticides, or other pathogens may occur in large batches of sesame seeds, such as in September 2020 when high levels of a common industrial compound, ethylene oxide, was found in a 250-tonne shipment of sesame seeds from India.{{Cite web |first=Joe |last=Whitworth |title=EU toughens rules for sesame seeds from India |url=https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2020/09/multi-country-recalls-due-to-ethylene-oxide-in-sesame-seeds/ |publisher=Food Safety News |date=30 October 2020}}{{cite news |first=Hannah |last=Thompson |title=France recalls sesame seed products due to toxic pesticide |url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-recalls-sesame-seed-products-due-to-toxic-pesticide-ethylene-oxide |access-date=28 November 2020 |work=The Connexion |date=4 November 2020}} After detection in Belgium, recalls for dozens of products and stores were issued across the European Union, totaling some 50 countries. Products with an organic certification were also affected by the contamination.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/food_alerts/Source_Bulk_Sesame.html |title=Recall of Organic Sesame Seeds and Organic Omega Seed Mix From The Source Bulk Foods, Rathmines, Due to the Presence of the Unauthorised Pesticide Ethylene Oxide |website=www.fsai.ie}} Regular governmental food inspection for sesame contamination, as for Salmonella and E. coli in tahini, hummus or seeds, has found that poor hygiene practices during processing are common sources and routes of contamination.{{cite web |title=2011-2012 Salmonella and generic E. coli in tahini and sesame seeds |url=https://www.inspection.gc.ca/food-safety-for-industry/food-chemistry-and-microbiology/microbiology/salmonella-and-generic-e-coli-in-tahini-and-sesame/eng/1430919620350/1430919620865 |publisher=Canadian Food Inspection Agency |access-date=28 November 2020 |date=4 September 2018}}

{{See also |List of sesame seed dishes}}

Sesame seed is a common ingredient in many cuisines. Sesame seed cookies called Benne wafers, both sweet and savory, are popular in places such as Charleston, South Carolina.{{cite web |title=Olde Colony Bakery |url=https://www.oldecolonybakery.com/ |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=Olde Colony Bakery}} Sesame seeds, also called benne, were brought into 17th-century colonial America by enslaved West Africans.{{Cite web |title=Benne Wafers |url=https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/benne-wafers-recipe |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=www.kingarthurbaking.com}} The whole plant was used in West African cuisine. The seeds thickened soups and puddings, or were roasted and infused to produce a coffee-like drink. Oil from the seeds substituted for butter, and served as a shortening for cakes. The leaves on mature plants, which are rich in mucilage, can be used as a laxative as well as a treatment for dysentery and cholera.{{Cite book |last=Bedigian |first=Dorothea |title=African Origins of Sesame Cultivation in the Americas. |year=2013 |location=Springer, New York, NY}} After arriving in North America, the plant was grown by slaves as a subsistence staple to supplement their weekly rations.{{Cite book |last1=Carney |first1=Judith |title=In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa's Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World |last2=Rosomoff |first2=Richard |year=2009 |pages=123–138}} In Caribbean cuisine, sugar and white sesame seeds are combined into a bar resembling peanut brittle and sold in stores and street corners, like Bahamian Benny cakes.{{Cite web |last=BodineVictoria |date=2020-08-10 |title=Bahamian Benny Cake |url=https://www.bodinevictoria.com/post/bahamian-benny-cake |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=BodineVictoria}}

In Asia, sesame seeds are sprinkled onto sushi-style foods.{{cite news |date=2020-10-05 |title=Third-culture breakfast: Asia-inspired morning feasts from Hetty McKinnon |url=http://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/oct/06/third-culture-breakfast-asia-inspired-morning-feasts-from-hetty-mckinnon |access-date=2020-12-15 |work=The Guardian}} In Japan, whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks, and tan and black sesame seed varieties are roasted and used to make the flavouring gomashio.{{cite web |last=Barnaby |first=Karen |title=Cultivating the savoury sprinkle |url=https://vancouversun.com/life/food/recipes/karen-barnaby-cultivating-the-savoury-sprinkle |publisher=Vancouver Sun |access-date=20 December 2024 |date=21 April 2019}} Ground black sesame and rice form zhimahu, a Chinese dessert and breakfast dish.{{Cite book |last=牛奶 |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/952301549 |title=新媳妇私房菜 |date=2011 |publisher=Hu nan ke xue ji shu chu ban she |isbn=978-7-5357-6124-8 |oclc=952301549}} The seeds and oil are used extensively in India, where sesame seeds mixed with heated jaggery, sugar, or palm sugar are made into balls and bars similar to peanut brittle or nut clusters and eaten as snacks, such as chikki.{{cite web |last=Chitrodia |first=Rucha Biju |title=A low-cal twist to sweet sensations |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/A-low-cal-twist-to-sweet-sensations/articleshow/3901919.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023195025/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-12-28/mumbai/27894010_1_refined-sugar-sugar-substitutes-jaggery |url-status=live |archive-date=23 October 2012|work=The Times of India |date=28 December 2008 |access-date=19 August 2012}}

Sesame is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. The seeds are made into tahini paste and sweet halva. It is a common component of the Levantine spice mixture za'atar, popular throughout the Middle East.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thekitchn.com/inside-the-spice-cabinet-zaatar-seasoning-blend-82566 |title=Inside the Spice Cabinet: Za'atar Seasoning Blend |website=Kitchn}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/zaatar-middle-eastern-spice-mixture-2355844 |title=Make Your Own Za'atar Spice Mix and Kick the Flavor Up a Notch |website=The Spruce Eats}}

In Southern Italian cuisine, traditional sesame seed confections are one of many culinary remnants of the Arabic period. These include a brittle-style torrone served at Christmas known as giurgiulena (from the Arabic juljulàn) and a lightly sweet, seed-covered biscuit called reginelle or sesamini.{{Citation |title=ciciulena |date=2024-03-14 |work=Wiktionary, the free dictionary |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ciciulena#Sicilian |access-date=2025-05-17 |language=en}}{{Citation |title=Biscotto regina |date=2024-12-01 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscotto_regina |access-date=2025-05-17 |language=it}} Similar sweets are found in neighboring cultures throughout the Mediterranean.{{Cite web |title=The Story of Biscotti Regina |url=https://www.manimanuzzi.com/blog/the-story-of-biscotti-regina |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Mani Manuzzi-Italian cakes, cookies, and more |language=en-US}}

Sesame oil is sometimes used for cooking, though not all varieties are suitable for high-temperature frying. The "toasted" form of the oil (as distinguished from the "cold-pressed" form) has a distinctive pleasant aroma and taste, and is sometimes used as a table condiment.{{Cite web |title=Sesame Oil, Explained: What's the Difference Between Toasted and Untoasted? |last=Andriani |first=Lynn |website=Martha Stewart |date=29 March 2019 |url= https://www.marthastewart.com/1537985/sesame-oil-about-toasted-untoasted}}

File:Sesame oil.jpg |Sesame oil

File:HK KTD 觀塘道 414 Kwun Tong Road One Pacific Centre shop 海港酒家 Victoria Harbour Restaurant food dim sum 煎堆 sesame ball 飲茶 morning tea April 2023 Px3 02.jpg |Jian dui covered with sesame seeds

File:Goma dango 002.jpg |Dango with sweet sesame seed sauce

File:EgFoodTahina.jpg |Tahini made of sesame seed paste

File:PikiWiki Israel 14731 Sesame Baskets.JPG |Sesame seeds are often added to baked goods and confectionery

File:Khao phan nga muan.jpg |Rolled khao phan with black sesame seeds

File:Bread Sticks With Sesame.jpg |Sesame seed breadsticks

File:"A Gingelly cake".jpg |Sesame sweet cake

File:Sesame Seed Ball (Candy).jpg |Sesame seed ball confection

File:Til-Patti 2.jpg |Til-patti – a sesame brittle-type confection from India

File:Athens15 tango7174.jpg |Simit, koulouri, or gevrek, a ring-shaped bread coated with sesame seeds

File:Halva 12-2015.jpg |Halva, Turkey

File:Potato bourekas.jpg |Typical Israeli Bourekas with sesame seeds

{{Main |Open sesame}}

In myths, the opening of the capsule releases the treasure of sesame seeds, as applied in the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" when the phrase "Open sesame" magically opens a sealed cave. Upon ripening, sesame pods split, releasing a pop and possibly indicating the origin of this phrase.{{cite web |title=Sesamum indicum L. |first=Peter |last=Griffee |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |url=http://ecoport.org/ep?Plant=1937&entityDisplayCategory=full}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Sesame}}

• {{Wikispecies-inline|Sesamum indicum}}

{{Herbs & spices}}

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