Sesame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sesame
Sesame plant
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Pedaliaceae
Genus:	Sesamum
Species:	S. indicum
Binomial name
Sesamum indicum L.
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Synonyms
Dysosmon amoenum Raf. Sesamum africanum Tod. Sesamum occidentalis Heer & Regel Sesamum oleiferum Sm. Sesamum orientale L. Volkameria orientalis (L.) Kuntze

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Sesame (Sesamum indicum), also known as benne, is a special plant grown for its tasty seeds. These seeds grow inside pods. Many wild types of sesame plants grow in Africa, and some are found in India. Today, you can find sesame growing in warm, tropical places all over the world.

Sesame seeds are one of the oldest oilseed crops that people have grown. They were first farmed over 3,000 years ago! The plant is amazing because it can grow well even when there isn't much water, where other crops might fail. Sesame seeds have a lot of oil, more than almost any other seed. They have a rich, nutty flavor and are used in cooking all around the globe. However, some people can have allergies to sesame.

Discovering the Sesame Plant

Sesame plants usually grow between 50 to 100 cm (about 20 to 40 inches) tall. Their leaves are about 4 to 14 cm (1.5 to 5.5 inches) long. The leaves are wider at the bottom of the plant and get narrower higher up.

The flowers look like tubes and are about 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 inches) long. They come in different colors, like white, pink, or purple.

After the flowers, the plant grows a fruit called a capsule. This capsule holds the seeds. Each capsule is usually 2 to 3 cm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) long and 0.6 to 1.2 cm (0.2 to 0.5 inches) wide. Inside, there are four sections filled with tiny seeds. These seeds can be white or black.

Sesame seeds are quite small, usually 3 to 4 mm (about 0.12 to 0.16 inches) long. They are oval-shaped and a little flat.

The Name of Sesame

The famous scientist Carl Linnaeus first described sesame as a species called Sesamum indicum in 1753.

Where the Name Comes From

The word "sesame" comes from old languages like Latin and Greek. These words were inspired by even older languages, like Akkadian, where words meant "oil" or "liquid fat."

The second part of its scientific name, indicum, means "from India." This tells us where the cultivated sesame plant first came from. The word "benne" for sesame came into English from an African American language called Gullah, which got it from the Malinke language.

A Journey Through Time: Sesame's History

An illustration of a sesame plant from an agriculture encyclopedia in 1804.

Sesame seeds are thought to be the oldest oilseed crop that people have ever grown. Most wild sesame plants are found in Africa. However, the type of sesame we grow today, Sesamum indicum, first came from India.

Scientists have found burnt sesame seeds from about 3500–3050 BC. This shows that people in India were growing sesame over 5,500 years ago! It's believed that sesame was traded between India and a place called Mesopotamia around 2000 BC.

Ancient Egyptians also grew sesame. They called it sesemt. It was even listed as a medicine in a very old scroll from about 1550 BC. Baskets of sesame were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb, showing it was important in Egypt by 1350 BC. Some people even think sesame might have first grown in Ethiopia.

For a long time, sesame was loved because it could grow in tough places where other crops couldn't. It's a strong plant that doesn't need much help. It can grow in dry weather, hot temperatures, and even when there's too much or too little rain. Farmers in desert areas could grow it, which is why some call it a "survivor crop."

Growing and Harvesting Sesame

How Sesame Grows

Sesame plants can grow in many types of soil. For the best harvests, they like rich, well-drained soil that isn't too acidic or too alkaline. However, they don't do well in very salty soil or soil that stays wet.

Commercial sesame farms need about 90 to 120 days without frost. Warm weather, above 23 °C (73 °F), helps the plants grow best and produce more seeds. Even though sesame can grow in poor soil, it yields more with proper plant food.

The amount of daylight and the type of sesame plant affect when it flowers. More daylight can also increase the oil content in the seeds. Sesame plants are good at handling dry spells because they have deep roots. But they do need enough water when they are first sprouting and growing. Too much or too little water can reduce how many seeds they produce.

Getting the Seeds Ready

Sesame seeds are protected inside a capsule. When the seeds are ripe, this capsule bursts open, scattering the seeds. Because they don't all burst at the same time, farmers often cut the plants by hand. They stand them upright to finish ripening until all the capsules have opened.

In the 1940s, scientists found a type of sesame that didn't burst open easily. This led to efforts to create new types of sesame that wouldn't drop their seeds. Even with some progress, this "bursting" still makes harvesting a bit tricky. Farmers in Israel are working on new sesame plants that can be harvested by machines.

Since sesame seeds are small and flat, they are hard to dry after harvest. They pack together tightly, making it difficult for air to flow through them. So, harvested seeds need to be as dry as possible and stored with very little moisture (6% or less). If they are too moist, they can spoil quickly.

Sesame Around the World

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Sesame seed production
2024, tonnes

India	866,111
Myanmar	720,000
Sudan	626,173
Nigeria	450,000
Ethiopia	435,455
Burkina Faso	272,201
World	6,681,657
Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations

In 2024, the world produced about 6.7 million tonnes of sesame seeds. India, Myanmar, and Sudan were the biggest producers, making about one-third of all sesame seeds.

Lighter-colored sesame seeds are popular in Europe, the Americas, and parts of Asia. Black and darker sesame seeds are mostly grown in China and Southeast Asia.

Trading Sesame

Japan buys the most sesame in the world. Sesame oil, especially from roasted seeds, is very important in Japanese cooking. China is the second-largest buyer, mostly for making oil. China also sells some food-grade sesame seeds to other countries, especially in Southeast Asia. Other big buyers include the United States, Canada, and France.

Sesame seeds are a valuable crop. Their price can change based on how they look, how clean they are, and how much oil they contain (at least 40%).

What's Inside Sesame Seeds?

Dried whole sesame seeds are packed with good things! For every 100 grams, they have about 5% water, 23% carbohydrates, 50% fat, and 18% protein.

They are also a great source of many important B vitamins and minerals. For example, they contain lots of calcium, iron, and magnesium.

After the oil is taken out of sesame seeds, the leftover part is called sesame oil meal. This meal is rich in protein (35–50%) and is used to feed poultry and livestock.

Like many seeds, whole sesame seeds contain something called phytic acid. This acid can make it a bit harder for your body to absorb some minerals, especially if you eat them at the same time. But don't worry, heating and cooking the seeds helps to reduce the amount of this acid.

How Sesame Can Help Your Body

Studies have shown that eating sesame might help lower your blood pressure a little. It could also help improve your blood sugar levels. Sesame oil has been linked to reducing something called "oxidative stress" in the body, which is a good thing for your health.

Important Information About Sesame

Sesame Allergies

Some people can have an allergic reaction to sesame. This can be serious, sometimes causing a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a sudden, life-threatening allergic reaction that needs immediate medical help.

People who are allergic to sesame might also be allergic to peanuts, hazelnuts, or almonds. It's important for those with sesame allergies to check food labels carefully. Sesame can be found in many foods, like baked goods, tahini (a paste), and sesame oil. It can even be in non-food items like cosmetics and skin-care products.

About 0.1% to 0.8% of people in places like Australia, Canada, and the United States have a sesame allergy. In some Middle Eastern countries, it's even more common. In the United States, a law called the FASTER Act made labeling sesame mandatory starting in 2023.

Keeping Sesame Safe

Sometimes, large shipments of sesame seeds can accidentally get unwanted substances in them. This could be things like certain bacteria (like Salmonella or E.coli), pesticides, or other germs.

For example, in September 2020, high levels of a chemical called ethylene oxide were found in a large shipment of sesame seeds from India. When this was discovered in Belgium, many products were recalled across Europe and other countries. This shows how important regular food safety checks are to make sure our food is safe to eat. Poor hygiene during processing can sometimes be a cause of these issues.

Cooking with Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are a popular ingredient in many different types of food around the world.

In the 1600s, enslaved West Africans brought sesame seeds to America. In West African cooking, the whole plant was used. The seeds were used to thicken soups and puddings. They were also roasted to make a coffee-like drink. Oil from the seeds was used instead of butter or for baking cakes. The leaves of the plant were even used as a natural remedy.

In Caribbean cuisine, white sesame seeds are mixed with sugar to make a candy bar, similar to peanut brittle. These are called Benny cakes in the Bahamas.

In Japan, whole sesame seeds are added to salads and snacks. Roasted black and tan sesame seeds are used to make a seasoning called gomashio. In China, ground black sesame and rice are used to make zhimahu, a dessert or breakfast dish.

In India, sesame seeds are mixed with heated jaggery (a type of sugar) or palm sugar. These mixtures are made into balls and bars, like peanut brittle, and eaten as snacks called chikki.

Sesame is also a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. The seeds are made into a paste called tahini and a sweet treat called halva. It's also a key part of za'atar, a popular spice mix.

In Southern Italy, you can find traditional sesame seed sweets. These include a brittle-style candy called giurgiulena and a lightly sweet, seed-covered biscuit called reginelle or sesamini. Similar sweets are found in other Mediterranean countries.

Sesame oil is sometimes used for cooking. The "toasted" version of the oil has a special pleasant smell and taste. It is sometimes used as a condiment to add flavor to dishes.

"Open Sesame!"

In old myths and stories, the bursting open of a sesame capsule to release its seeds is like finding a hidden treasure. This idea is used in the famous story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves." In the story, the magical phrase "Open sesame" makes a secret cave open up!

Images for kids

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  Plant

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  Flowers and seed capsules on plant

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  Seed capsule

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  Magnified image of white sesame seeds

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  Sesame oil

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  Jian dui covered with sesame seeds

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  Dango with sweet sesame seed sauce

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  Tahini made of sesame seed paste

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  Sesame seeds are often added to baked goods and confectionery

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  Rolled khao phan with black sesame seeds

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  Sesame seed breadsticks

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  Sesame sweet cake

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  Sesame seed ball confection

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  Til-patti – a sesame brittle-type confection from India

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  Simit, koulouri, or gevrek, a ring-shaped bread coated with sesame seeds

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  Halva, Turkey

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  Typical Israeli Bourekas with sesame seeds

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  Black sesame seeds, not to be confused with nigella sativa

See also

In Spanish: Sésamo para niños