Spice of the Week - Sesame

Sesame
Sesame is an ancient spice, one of the first recorded plants used for its seeds. It 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. A drawing on an Egyptian tomb of 4,000 years ago depicts a baker adding sesame seeds to dough. 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. 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. In southern India it is used to anoint the body and hair. The “Open Sesame” of Arabian Nights fame, probably derives from the sound the ripe seeds make when they burst from their pods, a popping noise that sounds like a lock spring opening.

Spice Description
Sesame seeds are contained in the pods of a tropical plant. They are tiny, flat ovals, measuring about 3 mm (1/8 in) long. Seed color can vary, though they are usually beige or creamy white when husked. The seeds are sold dried and whole or ground to form tahini paste.

Preparation and Storage
The whole seeds are enhanced by lightly toasting before use. They are ready when they start to jump. Store in airtight containers out of light. Tahini paste tends to settle into layers and requires stirring before use. It should be kept in a tightly sealed glass jar.

Culinary Uses
The simplest and now commonest use of sesame is as whole seeds sprinkled over cakes and breads, like poppy seeds. In Syria and Lebanon it is mixed with sumac and thyme to make the condiment zatar. 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. 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. 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.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
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.
Plant Description and Cultivation
A tropical herbaceous annual that grows 1 -2 m (2 - 6 ft) tall. 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.