Sesame seed

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a crop grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds. The small, cream-white sesame seed is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour, and also yields a cooking oil. Sesame seeds are sometimes added to bagels and the top of hamburger buns. Sesame seeds are baked into crackers, often in the form of sticks. Sesame plants are also known as til in India and benne in Africa.

Sesame seeds can be made into a paste called tahini (used in hummus) and a Turkish confection called halvah. In sections of the Middle East and East Asia, popular treats are made from sesame mixed with honey or syrup and roasted (called pasteli in Greece). Sesame flavor (through oil and seeds (roasted and plain)) are also very popular in Korean cuisine. You can also see sesame seeds sprinkled onto some Sushi style foods. East Asian cuisines, like Chinese cuisine uses sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as the dim sum dish, sesame seed balls (麻糰 ma-tuan).

Japanese cuisine uses sesami seeds to make goma-dofu (胡麻豆腐) which is made from sesami paste and ivy root powder.

The seeds are rich in manganese, copper, and calcium, and also contain Vitamin B1 (thiamine).