19 Facts About Sesame

Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum, called benne.

Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3, 000 years ago.

Sesame seed is considered to be the oldest oilseed crop known to humanity.

Sesame seeds occur in many colours depending on the cultivar.

Sesame fruit is a capsule, normally pubescent, rectangular in section, and typically grooved with a short, triangular beak.

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Sesame is drought-tolerant, in part due to its extensive root system.

Sesame seeds are protected by a capsule that bursts when the seeds are ripe.

Sesame oil, particularly from roasted seed, is an important component of Japanese cooking and traditionally the principal use of the seed.

Sesame seeds contain the lignans sesamolin, sesamin, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol.

Sesame seeds are sometimes added to bread, including bagels and the tops of hamburger buns.

Sesame seeds, called benne, are believed to have been brought into 17th-century colonial America by West African slaves.

Sesame oil made from the seeds could be used as a substitute for butter, finding use as a shortening for making cakes.

Sesame seeds were commonly used as a thickener in soups and puddings, or could be roasted and infused in water to produce a coffee-like drink.

Sesame oil made from the seeds could be used as a substitute for butter, finding use as a shortening for making cakes.

Sesame is a common ingredient in many Middle Eastern cuisines.

Sesame seeds are made into a paste called tahini and the Middle Eastern confection halvah.

Sesame is a common component of the Levantine spice mixture za'atar, popular throughout the Middle East.

Sesame oil is sometimes used as a cooking oil in different parts of the world, though different forms have different characteristics for high-temperature frying.

Sesame seeds are commonly added to baked goods and creative confectionery.