Sesame seed

Botany and history
Sesame is a widely cultivated plant and probably one of the oldest oil plants in the world. The annual, herbaceous plant grows to a height of 10-180 cm and initially has cup-shaped, pinkish-white flowers. Later, oval-shaped fruiting bodies develop, which contain the sesame seeds.

Sesame was originally native to parts of India and Africa. In sites of the Indus culture, sesame has been found in 5,000-year-old layers, and in Mesopotamia - today's Syria/Iraq - there are finds dating back 4,000 years. A clay tablet from Babylonian times, on which it is written in cuneiform script ‘the gods flavour with sesame’, testifies to the esteem in which the plant was held even back then. The advanced civilisations of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans also valued the plant as a spice seed and oil.

Main cultivation countries
Today, the sesame plant is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
The largest producer of sesame is Sudan with an average harvest of around 1,300,000 tonnes per year, followed by India with around 800,000 tonnes and Myanmar with 750,000 tonnes. Tanzania ranks fourth in world production with approx. 700,000 tonnes, followed by China and Nigeria with approx. 450,000 tonnes per year each.

Processing and use
Immediately after harvesting, the sesame plant is dried, causing the capsule fruits to open. The sesame seeds are then shaken out of the capsules and separated from the plant residues in mechanised sieving systems - or in many countries still by hand.

The seeds differ in appearance, flavour and nutrient content. Their colour varies from creamy white to yellow to dark brown and black, with the latter variant being the original form. Sesame seeds contain large amounts of calcium and phosphorus, which are particularly important for bones and teeth. Their high iron and protein content makes sesame seeds an interesting food, especially for vegans, and they are available in hulled and unhulled form.

From bread and baked goods, salads and main courses to desserts and pastries - sesame seeds can be used in many different ways. Hulled sesame seeds go particularly well with baked goods and dishes that require a soft, nutty flavour, while the unhulled, more nutritious sesame seeds with their more intense flavour are excellent as a topping for salads or as an ingredient in Asian and oriental dishes such as halva, tahini and hummus. However, sesame is a strong allergen that must be declared and even the smallest quantities must be stated on the list of ingredients for processed foods.