The History of Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds come from a plant in the Pedaliaceae family called Sesamum indicum L. The plant originated in Africa and India. It was cultivated in Asia over 5,000 years ago and was exported from India through the Red Sea to Europe. It also traveled from Egypt into Italy. Later, when slaves from West Africa were taken to America, they brought sesame seeds with them. Today, sesame seeds are cultivated all over the world. The seeds have a long history of use for medicinal purposes, including in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They also have a longstanding role in culinary traditions all over the world. For example, in the Middle East, they are used in the spice mix za'atar and to make tahini. They are also used heavily in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cooking. Today, sesame seeds are consumed in most parts of the world and play a key role in a wide variety of culinary dishes. They are also commonly used as a garnish.