One of the oldest oilseeds in cultivation — small, nutty, and indispensable from Middle Eastern tahini to Japanese furikake.
Where it comes from
Sesame is the seed of Sesamum indicum, an upright annual cultivated for at least 5,000 years. Africa supplies most of the global crop today, with Sudan, Tanzania, and Ethiopia leading. White, black, and brown varieties differ mostly in pigment and slightly in oil profile.
Flavor & pairing
Raw sesame seeds are quietly grassy and slightly bitter; toasting transforms them into something nutty, buttery, and almost popcorn-sweet. Sesame complements honey, soy sauce, dark greens, chicken, eggplant, and almost any roasted vegetable.
How it’s used
Middle Eastern cooks grind toasted seeds with water and a little oil into tahini, the backbone of hummus, halva, and baba ganoush. Japanese kitchens roll gomaae spinach in toasted ground sesame and toss black seeds into furikake rice seasoning. Korean dishes finish with a drizzle of chamgireum sesame oil. American bagels and burger buns take a generous scatter on top.
Trade history
The phrase “open sesame” likely refers to the seed pod’s audible pop when ripe — a moment of natural revelation worked into folklore.
Find more spices by letter
Sesame Seed starts with S and ends with D. Browse other spices along the same letter.
Spices that contain a letter from "Sesame Seed":