Sesame Seed

Ever heard of the phrase ‘Open Sesame’? It is said that it is a reference to the way sesame seed pods open to reveal their seeds.

Sesame seeds are oilseeds from the sesame plant Sesamun indicum, that comes from the Pedaliaceae family, the family of sesames or pedaliums.
Sesame seeds are extracted from a pod approximately 2 to 8 centimetres (0.8 to 3.15 inches) in length on a plant that grows 50 to 100 centimetres (1.6 to 3.3 feet) in height.
Sesame seeds are generally 3 to 4 millimetres in length (0.1 inches) and can be a variety of colours including cream, tan, black, grey, red and gold.
Sesame seeds have been harvested since 4000 to 2000BC in ancient civilisations including Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and other Middle Eastern civilisations.
Once sesame seeds have been extracted from pods, the seeds are often sorted for quality and colour using a type of scanner.

In 2010, Burma, in Asia, was the largest producer of sesame seeds in the world, with 0.72 million tonnes (0.79 million tons) of the 3.84 million tonnes (4.23 million tons) produced worldwide, while India and China ranked second and third respectively.
Sesame seeds can cause a severe allergic reaction and an anaphylactic response, with symptoms include swelling, hives, hay fever and throat problems.
Sesame seeds have a nutty flavour, evident once cooked, and are often used to flavour bread items, and can be added to main meals, as well as breakfast cereals.
Sesame seeds contain numerous phytosterols that can lower cholesterol levels, reduce the likelihood of specific cancers and increasethe performance of the immunity system.
Sesame seeds are very high in calcium, iron, copper, manganese and magnesium, and contain many other vitamins and minerals.

Amazon: