{"id":32826,"date":"2022-03-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=32826"},"modified":"2024-11-12T16:32:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T00:32:45","slug":"tahini-sesame-seeds-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/tahini-sesame-seeds-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Sesame? Explore the Benefits & Uses of Sesame Seeds and Tahini"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medically reviewed by <\/i>Laurie Marbas, MD<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Comedian Mitch Hedberg wondered about sesame seeds a lot. Primarily, he was concerned about how they stick to hamburger buns. Do they have adhesive backing on just one side? And who has the time to peel and stick all those tiny seeds to the buns?<\/p>\n

Hedberg\u2019s musings about sesame seeds were limited to their relationship to buns because he\u2019d probably never seen them in any other context. Had he grown up in the Middle East or East Asia, though, his sesame set would have featured jokes about foods like tahini, halvah, sushi, and sukiyaki. In recent decades, the tiny and tasty seeds have grown in global popularity and versatility as their cuisines of origin have jumped borders and gone international.<\/p>\n

While an individual sesame seed may be small, don\u2019t underestimate the nutritional value of a bunch of them. And if you haven\u2019t experienced the wonders of sesame beyond a bun or an everything bagel, you may enjoy getting to know the much bigger and more delicious world of sesame seeds and sesame products.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll say \u201copen sesame\u201d to the mystery of the \u201cQueen of Oilseeds.\u201d We\u2019ll explore their health benefits, find out about potential downsides, and brainstorm delicious and creative ways to include sesame seeds and sesame products in your diet.<\/p>\n

Ready? With all due respect to Big Bird and Grover (insert Sesame Street theme song music here), let me tell you how to get, how to get to sesame seed.<\/p>\n

What Is Sesame?<\/h2>\n
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Archeological evidence suggests that sesame is one of the oldest cultivated crops<\/a> in the world.<\/strong> The oldest sesame seeds found in an archeological context come from the Indus Valley site at Harappa, now in Pakistan, which dates back 4,000\u20134,600 years. (I can only imagine how hard it would be to find a seed that old in a giant mound of earth. Hopefully one of the diggers didn\u2019t just drop one from between their teeth after lunch.)<\/p>\n

Sesame seeds come from the Sesame or Sesamum indicum L.<\/i> plant<\/a>, an oilseed crop of the family Pedaliaceae<\/i>, which to my surprise did not include unicycle ferns or penny-farthing thistles. A prolific producer, one sesame seedpod can produce hundreds of seeds. Botanists think the plant originated in what is now India or Africa; and considering that it still grows wild<\/a> in Africa, that\u2019s probably a solid guess.<\/p>\n

Sesame was likely domesticated somewhere on the Indian subcontinent and probably spread from there to Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE (that\u2019s a lot of sesame spread!) The Babylonians used the seeds to make the only kind of oil they cooked with, and news of the innovation got to Egypt around 500 years later. By 200 BCE, the Chinese had been growing sesame long enough to make it a common staple crop.<\/p>\n

To this day, in some cultures, sesame is regarded as the \u201cQueen of Oilseeds\u201d<\/strong> due to its ability to stay fresh and tasty for a long time, resisting oxidation and rancidity.<\/p>\n

Hulled vs Unhulled Sesame Seeds<\/h2>\n
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When you buy sesame seeds, you can get them either hulled or unhulled. The hulls are the shells, or outer coverings, of the seed. Hulled sesame seeds have had this covering removed, and unhulled sesame seeds have an intact outer shell.<\/p>\n

When shopping for sesame seeds, you might see them characterized as black, brown, or white. Black and brown sesame seeds are the unhulled version (the outer coating is actually kind of golden brown) of seeds, while white sesame seeds are the hulled ones.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Black and brown sesame seeds boast a nutty taste and slightly sweet flavor and aroma that you can enhance by toasting. White seeds \u2014 the ones you\u2019ll typically find in a Western grocery store \u2014 have a milder flavor.<\/p>\n

Black sesame seeds show up often in Asian cuisine. These have a stronger, earthier, and sometimes bitter flavor, along with a crunchier texture.<\/p>\n

Other Sesame Seed Products<\/h2>\n

Cultures around the world have turned raw or roasted sesame seeds into flavorful and versatile ingredients, as well as cherished items of various cuisines.<\/p>\n

Tahini<\/h3>\n
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The Middle East gave us tahini, a condiment or sauce used in Middle Eastern cooking. Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, either raw or roasted. Tahini is also considered a type of seed butter<\/a> and is vegan.<\/p>\n

There are many uses for tahini, but if you\u2019re a traditionalist, you can drizzle tahini over falafel. You can also include it as a whole-foods fat source in dressings, sauces, and dips. Classic hummus consists of two main ingredients \u2014 chickpeas and tahini \u2014 along with flavorings like garlic and an acid like lemon juice.<\/p>\n

You can buy a bottle of tahini<\/a> at your leisure, as it\u2019s shelf-stable until opened, for at least a year or two. Once opened, keep your tahini refrigerated so the oil doesn\u2019t separate, and use it within 3\u20136 months (our recipes below will ensure that it doesn\u2019t last that long). If you\u2019re not sure if your tahini is still viable, check for a rancid odor, or mold forming on the inside of the jar or lid. Homemade tahini may go bad faster; you can slow this down by storing it in an airtight container<\/a>. And make it in small batches so you can use it up before it turns towards sesame seed heaven, or wherever it is that sesame seeds go when their edible life is drawing to a close.<\/p>\n

Sesame Paste<\/h3>\n

An Asian take on tahini (or is tahini a Middle Eastern take on sesame paste?), sesame paste comes from toasted, unhulled sesame seeds. Sesame paste uses abound in Chinese and other Asian cuisines \u2014 use it in soups, as well as noodle and rice dishes.<\/p>\n

Sesame paste is typically darker in color than tahini and has roughly the same consistency. But you can also store it like tahini: you can keep sesame paste in its original airtight jar for up to two years, and once opened, refrigerate it and use it within six months.<\/p>\n

Sesame Oil<\/h3>\n

Sesame oil is a staple cooking oil and condiment ingredient in many Asian cuisines. If you use oil, you can use light sesame oil<\/a> as a neutral cooking oil, and reserve toasted sesame oil<\/a> as a flavoring for sauces, soups, and other dishes. With sesame oil, the darker the color, the stronger the flavor.<\/p>\n

Both types of sesame oil are highly stable and resist oxidation. You can store light sesame oil for up to a year at room temperature. Toasted sesame oil has a slightly shorter shelf life, but will still last for many months if you keep it refrigerated.<\/p>\n

If you choose to use sesame oil, do so in moderation, as it\u2019s very high in omega-6 fatty acids<\/a>. While both omega-6s and omega-3s<\/a> are essential nutrients, most people consume way more omega-6s than omega-3s, and it\u2019s important to even out the ratio.<\/p>\n

Halvah<\/h3>\n
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Halvah<\/a> is a Middle Eastern dessert that traditionally consists of ground sesame seeds, sugar, and other sweeteners and flavorings, such as honey, pistachios, and chocolate. The texture is solid, almost like a block of fudge, but when you break or bite into it, you\u2019ll find it somewhat crumbly and chalky.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to refrigerate halvah, but many people do because the cold keeps it firmer. Unrefrigerated, it will last up to six months, but realistically, if you like it you\u2019ll find it hard not to gobble it up well before then.<\/p>\n

Note that some halvah brands use refined sweeteners and natural flavorings, so make sure to read the ingredients before purchasing.<\/p>\n

Sesame Flour<\/h3>\n

Sesame flour<\/a> is a gluten-free baking flour made from raw, unhulled, and ground sesame seeds. You can use it just like almond flour in gluten-free crackers, breads, batters, and various baked goods.<\/p>\n

Some varieties are labeled \u201cdefatted,\u201d which just means the seeds are cold-pressed to remove the oil before they\u2019re ground. Sesame flour, defatted or whole, lasts about 6\u201312 months at room temperature.<\/p>\n

Sesame Seed Nutrition<\/h2>\n

All sesame seeds are good sources of protein, healthy carbohydrates, fiber, fatty acids, B vitamins, and minerals like copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese. Unhulled<\/a> seeds contain more calcium, iron, potassium, and other minerals, while hulled<\/a> seeds are slightly higher in folate and have a higher fat concentration and higher levels of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A and E.<\/p>\n

All types of sesame seeds are high in phytochemicals, including the lignans sesamin and sesamolin (\u201cS is for sesamolin, that\u2019s good enough for me\u201d) that act like antioxidants, scavenging free radicals and reducing inflammation. If you really want to get your antioxidants on, go for the black sesame seeds, which are often studied for their potent health benefits thanks to their stronger antioxidant activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sesame Nutrition Facts<\/h3>\n

You can see a comparison of the different kinds of sesame products\u2019 nutrition below:<\/p>\n