Sesame seed

Sesame is one of the oldest spices

The plant is annual and grows up to 2 m high.

It grows mainly in India but is now cultivated in almost all tropical countries.

The long, hairy capsules contain numerous flat, brownish-yellow seeds. However, black sesame is also available. It tastes more intense, spicier, and also more bitter than white sesame. Black sesame is often used in China.

In combination with white sesame, it makes a beautiful decorative element.

Sesame seed-Paste

In Arab countries, a paste, tahini, is made from sesame seeds. Tahini is added to dishes such as humus (chickpea mash) or baba ganoush (eggplant mash).

Sesame seed for sweets

In addition, sesame is the basis for various sweets. For example, for halva or for sesame bars, the so-called sesamini. In both cases, sugar or honey is added to the sesame. For halva, you need sesame mash, and for sesamini whole sesame seeds.

Sesame is very oily and is also processed into sesame oil

This is often used in Asian cuisine. When you cook with sesame oil, your food gets a wonderful nutty flavor.

You can also roast sesame seed

Roast it dry in a pan – but be careful not to burn them, or it will become very bitter. The roasted seeds have an intense nutty flavor and are slightly bitter.

They go well with vegetables, salad, and cheese and can replace nuts in cereal. Whether you prefer to roast them or leave them natural depends on your taste.

You can also use sesame seed for breading

For example, for fish or tofu. Mixing black and white sesame seeds will make the breading even more beautiful.

Unfortunately, sesame is also allergenic, so it must be declared even in small quantities. Peanut allergy sufferers in particular can also react violently to sesame.

And since sesame is so oily, it can unfortunately also become rancid. That’s why I recommend not buying too big portions and smelling or tasting some seeds before using them.

What do you like to do with sesame seeds?