Herb. No. 137 · Pedaliaceae
African oilseed, an ancient South Asian and Near Eastern crop.
Native · Africa
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Sesame
Sesamum indicum
The seed that opens — a hot-season crop whose paste is tahini and whose oil is the quiet fat of a dozen kitchens.
Sesame is an ancient African and South Asian oilseed. The capsule pops when ripe — hence the story. Seed is food: tahini, goma, a finishing scatter. Traditional use includes a lubricating oil and a food-level tonic. Culinary amounts are the path. Allergy is real and rising on labels.
Flavor
Toasted is nutty, warm, a little bitter. Raw is milder. Oil is the same idea, liquid.
Parts used
Ripe seed · Expressed oil
Helpful
- A true food seed
- Grows in a hot summer
Cautions
- Allergen
- Pods shatter
- Needs heat to ripen