Sesame seed
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Sesame seed was used by the Egyptians as a medicine as
early as 1500 B.C. A drawing on an Egyptian tomb of 4,000 years ago depicts a
baker adding sesame seeds to dough. Sesame Seed is probably the oldest crop
grown for its taste and for its edible oil dating back 2000 years to China. Its
botanical name is Sesamum indicum. Its common name is Benne seed. Its
Arabic name is Semsem while sesame oil is called Tahina.
Sesame seed has
been used for thousands of years and is still an oil seed of worldwide
significance. Early Assyrians believed their gods drank sesame wine as a prelude
to creating the world. Around the same time, the Chinese were burning sesame oil
to make a soot for ink.
Ancient Greek
soldiers carried sesame seeds as energy boosting emergency rations and the
Romans made a kind of hummus from sesame and cumin. Sesame has been considered a
symbol of good luck and signifies immortality to Brahmins.
The Babylonians made sesame cakes, and used the oil for
cooking and toiletries. The Turks used its oil in 900 BC.
The term “open sesame” first appeared in the Arabian book
"The Thousand and One Nights." "Open Sesame" was the magical password that
opened the entrance to the cave in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The phrase
refers to the seeds' ability to pop, at the slightest touch, when ripe.
Sesame was imported from India to Europe during the first
century. Persians used sesame oil because they had no olive oil. Africans, who
called it “benne,” brought it with them to the United States in the 17th century
during the slave trade. |
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Sesame is the dried, oval-shaped seed of the
annual herb Sesamum indicum, which grows well in hot climates. Sesame Seed is
harvested by hand. And it is a
crop grown
primarily for its oil-rich
seeds. Sesame
Seed is the most commonly produced seed and contains 25 % protein.The
seeds also
come in more exotic forms, such as the black, brown, and red varieties.
Sesamum
indicum, the
annual plant
reaches heights of 6 feet and sprouts oblong leaves and seed pods. The plant
requires a fairly long and warm growing season of four to five months. The plant
has an unpleasant odour. The leaves vary from ovate to lanceolate and are hairy
on both sides. The flowers are purple to whitish, resembling foxglove, followed
by 3 cm (1.25 in) capsules containing numerous seeds. It matures in 80 -180 days
when the stems are cut and hung upside down for the ripe seeds to fall out to be
collected on mats. Mechanical harvesting is also used, with total worldwide
production of almost 4 billion pounds annually.
Sesame is generally described
as having a mild, nut-like, slightly sweet flavor which intensifies when
toasted. These tiny, flat seeds come in shades of brown, red and black, but
those most commonly found are a pale grayish-ivory. Sesame seeds are all tiny
and flat, the black seeds are the most flavorful and aromatic, but all have a
rich. Lightly toasting sesame seeds in a dry pan brings out a lovely color, a
rich flavor, and the natural oils for a pretty gloss. Black sesame seeds are
equally attractive and tasty when toasted.
Sesame seed has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor
that makes it versatile enough for use in baked goods such as breads, pastries,
cakes and cookies. The seed is available packaged in supermarkets and can be
found in bulk in Middle Eastern markets and health-food stores. Because of a
high oil content, sesame seed turns rancid quickly. It can be stored airtight in
a cool, dark place for up to 3 months, refrigerated up to 6 months or frozen up
to a year.
The constituents of sesame seed are
many.Interestingly, nutrients from one seed to another vary, but they all
contain protein, oils (oleic acid, liuoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, araehidic
acid and tetracosanoic acid) lecithin, minerals (Ca, P, K, Fe) saccharide,
cellulose, VB2, VE, niacin, folic acid, sterol, sesamd, sesamin and cytochrome
C. Unhulled seeds contain more calcium then hulled seeds.
The oils extracted from pressed seeds are used as
cooking oil, as a salad oil and in making margarine.
Uses
Medicinal uses: Sesame is
supposed to tonify kidney, liver and relax the bowel. It is used for the
treatment of constipation due to hard stools, tinnitus, anaemia, dizziness and
poor vision. Sesame oil is mildly laxative, emollient and demulcent. The seeds
and fresh leaves may be used as a poultice. The oil has wide medical and
pharmaceutical application.
Infuse the leaves in some hot boiling water and use this to gargle and treat
inflamed membranes of the mouth. Use only after tea has cooled down.
Sesame Seed has been enjoyed by
humans since the dawn of civilization. a variety of sesame plants have
flourished throughout the rest of Middle East and Asia, where their
seeds and oils
were used liberally for culinary, medicinal, health, and beauty purposes. It is
used in breads, candies, main dishes, as a garnish on pasta and vegetables, and
for its oil content.
Sesame Seeds are used to add
texture and flavor to a variety of breads, rolls, crackers, and salad dressings.
Middle Eastern, Chinese and Asian seasoning blends use crushed, whole, and
toasted Sesame Seeds for flavor and texture.
Sesame seeds are sometimes added
to
bagels and the
top of
hamburger
buns. Sesame seeds are baked into
crackers,
often in the form of sticks. Sesame plants are also known as til in
India and
benne in
Africa.
Sesame seeds can be made into
a paste called
tahini (used
in
hummus) and a
Turkish
confection called
halvah or in
tasty marinades and dipping sauces. Sesame is a key ingredient in halva, the
Middle Eastern confection, where the seeds are ground and pressed into blocks
with various sweet or nutty ingredients. In sections of the
Middle East
and
East Asia,
popular treats are made from sesame mixed with
honey or
syrup and
roasted.
Tahini
paste tends to settle into layers and requires stirring before use. It should be
kept in a tightly sealed glass jar. In Syria and Lebanon it is mixed with sumac
and thyme to make the condiment zatar. Sesame in its ground form,
tahini, is widely used throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. It is a
flavouring for hummus, a sauce for kebabs and is often mixed with lemon and
garlic to make a bread dip — a popular Arab appetizer or mezze. In
Mexico, its oil is called ajonjoli which is frequently used for cooking.
Sesame flavor (through
oil and seeds (roasted and plain)) are also very popular in
Korean cuisine.
Black sesame appears frequently in
Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes where meat or fish is rolled in the seeds
before cooking for a crunchy coating. Black sesame is an ingredient of
gomassio, the Japanese tabletop condiment, and other colourful rice and
noodle dishes. You can also see sesame seeds sprinkled onto some
Sushi style
foods.
Sesame oil is a non-drying oil, highly stable
rarely turning rancid in hot climates. It is very rich in protein, a
polyunsaturated fat used in margarine production and cooking oils. Non-culinary
uses include its use as an ingredient in soap, cosmetics, lubricants and
medicines.