| Sesame | |
|---|---|
| Sesame plants | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Pedaliaceae |
| Genus: | Sesamum |
| Species: | S. indicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Sesamum indicum L. |
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Sesame ( /ˈsɛsəmiː/; Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. The flowers of the sesame seed plant are yellow, though they can vary in colour with some being blue or purple.
It is an annual plant growing to 50 to 100 cm (1.6 to 3.3 ft) tall, with opposite leaves 4 to 14 cm (1.6 to 5.5 in) long with an entire margin; they are broad lanceolate, to 5 cm (2 in) broad, at the base of the plant, narrowing to just 1 cm (0.4 in) broad on the flowering stem. The flowers are white to purple, tubular, 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2.0 in) long, with a four-lobed mouth.
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The word sesame is from Latin sesamum, borrowed from Greek sésamon "seed or fruit of the sesame plant", borrowed from Semitic (cf. Hebrew sumsum, Arabic simsim, Aramaic shūmshĕmā), from Late Babylonian *shawash-shammu, itself from Assyrian shamash-shammū, from shaman shammī "plant oil".
| Transliteration | Name | Language |
|---|---|---|
| til | تل | Urdu |
| तिल | Sanskrit | |
| Hindi | ||
| তিল | Oriya | |
| raashijjjj | ରାଶି | |
| Nuvvulu | నువ్వులు | Telugu |
| ellu | எள் | Tamil |
| എള്ള് | Malayalam | |
| ಎಳ್ಳು | Kannada |
From all the 3 roots above, words with the generalized meaning “oil, liquid fat” are derived, e.g., Sanskrit taila [तैल]. Similar semantic shifts from the name of an oil crop to a general word “fat, oil” are also known for other languages, e.g., “olive” has given rise to English “oil”.
In some languages of the Middle East, sesame is named differently and evolved from Middle Persian kunjid. This has also been borrowed into other languages — e.g., Russian kunzhut [кунжут] and Yiddish kunzhut [קונזשוט].
Portuguese (Brazil only) gergelim and Spanish ajonjolí (sesame seeds) and Hindi gingli [गिंगली] derive from an Arabic noun jaljala [جلجلة] “sound, echo”, referring to the rattling sound of ripe seeds within the capsule.[1]
In southern US and the Caribbean, where a form of the sesame seed was introduced by African slaves, it is known mostly by an African name, benne.
Most of the wild species of the genus Sesamum are native to Africa south of the Saharan.
According to Assyrian legend, when the gods met to create the world, they drank wine made from sesame seeds.
In Hindu legends and beliefs, tales are told in which sesame seeds represent a symbol of immortality and the God Maha Vishnu's consort Maha Sri Devi herself representing the properties of the sesame seed, as such it is considered as the most auspicious oil next to ghee used in Hindu rituals and prayers.
In Orissa, Raashi ladu (sweet made of sesame) is a must as an offering to Lord Ganesha. Black sesame seeds are mixed with grains of rice and offered to the manes. White sesame seeds mixed with rice are offered to the gods and seers of the Veda. Both of these offerings are called tarpanam. Sesame oil is used to pacify the malefic effect of Lord Shani (Saturn).
In Tamil literature and medicine, it has been mentioned as the "very good healthy" oil as such it is called Nala + Enney (Good Oil), old Tamil medicinal proverbs such as "ilaythavannakku yellum kohluthavanukkum kohlum"; meaning "prescribe for underweight/unnourished it boost up and also may apply for the overweight/corpulent as well to reduce down, sometimes misinterpreted as "prescribe sesame to underweight and horse gram to overweight" thus the word kohlum is mistaken for Horse Gram. Tamil medicine holds that gargling with sesame oil after brushing one's teeth will reduce gum disease and mouth ulcers while eliminating plaque. Taking a sesame oil bath with a simple self massage are considered mandatory in Tamil tradition at least once in a week on Wednesday and Saturday for male and Fridays for female as per quoted by a Siddha Yogic Tamil medicine philosopher Auvaiyaar as quoted "Sani Neeraadu" means at least take a full shower once a week with oil which will reduce ones body heat on a rest day which is Saturday for those who live in the hot humid tropical regions. According to Bhavishya-uttara-Purana, one who distributes sesame in charity (etc.) on day of Shat-Tila-Ekadashi, in the end of life comes back to home, back to Godhead, to spiritual world, abode of Lord Krishna.
In recent times, sesame seeds have become an ingredient in wiccan practices. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen suggests their use to aid conception, to draw money, or for protection.
In the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves", the phrase "Open Sesame" magically opens a sealed cave. The origin of the phrase is unclear.
Sesame seeds are also used conceptionally in Urdu literature, in the proverbs "til dharnay ki jagah na hona"; meaning a place so crowded that there is no room for a single seed of sesame, and "in tilon mein teil nahee" (ان تلوں میں تیل نہیں); referring to a person who is very mean, meaning by there is no oil left in this sesame.
Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich seeds, which come in a variety of colors, from cream-white to charcoal-black. In general, the paler varieties of sesame seem to be more valued in the West and Middle East, while both the pale and black varieties are prized in the Far East. The small sesame seed is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour (although such heating damages their health-giving polyunsaturated fats), and also yields sesame oil. The seeds of the sesame are a good source of calcium.
Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads, including bagels and the tops of hamburger buns. Sesame seeds may be baked into crackers, often in the form of sticks. Sesame seeds are even sprinkled onto some sushi style foods but this practice is rarely seen in Asia. Whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks as well in Japan. Tan and black sesame seed varieties are roasted and used for making the flavoring gomashio. In Greece the seeds are used in cakes, and in Togo they are a main soup ingredient. The seeds are also eaten on bread in Sicily and France (called "ficelle sésame", sesame thread). In DR Congo and North of Angola, ground sesame or wangila is a delicious dish, especially when cooked with smoked fish or lobsters. About one-third of Mexico's sesame crop is exported to the United States and purchased by McDonald's for their sesame seed buns (The Nut Factory 1999).[2] In Manipur (North Eastern State of India) Black sesame is used in the preparation of a favorite side dish called 'Thoiding' and in 'Singju' (A kind of salad). Thoiding is prepared with ginger and chili and vegetables are used in the spicy Singu dish. In Assam, black sesame seeds are used to make Til Pitha and Tilor laru (sesame seed balls) during bihu. In Punjab province of India and Tamil Nadu state of India, a sweet ball called "Pinni" (پنی) in Urdu and 'Ell urundai' in Tamil, "Ellunda"(എള്ളുണ്ട) in Malayalam, "Yellunde" (sesame ball, usually in jaggery) in Kannada and tilgul in Marathi is made of its seeds mixed with sugar. Also in Tamil Nadu, sesame oil used extensively in their cuisine, Milagai Podi, a ground powder made of sesame and dry chili is used to enhance flavor and consumed along with other traditional foods such as idli. Sesame (benne) seed cookies and wafers, both sweet and savory, are still consumed today in places like Charleston, South Carolina. The seeds are believed to have been brought into 17th century colonial America by West African slaves. In Caribbean cuisine, sugar and white sesame seeds are combined into a bar resembling peanut brittle and sold in stores and street corners.
Ground and processed, the seeds can also be used in sweet confections. Sesame seeds can be made into a paste called sesame butter, which is used to prepare tahini (used in various ways, including hummus bi tahini) and the Middle Eastern confection halvah. In South Asia, Middle East, East Asian cuisines, popular treats are made from sesame mixed with honey or syrup and roasted into a sesame candy. In Japanese cuisine goma-dofu (胡麻豆腐) is made from sesame paste and starch.
East Asian cuisines, like Chinese cuisine use sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as dim sum, sesame seed balls (Chinese: 麻糰; pinyin: mátuǎn or 煎堆; Cantonese: jin deui), and the Vietnamese bánh rán. Sesame flavour (through oil and roasted or raw seeds) is also very popular in Korean cuisine, used to marinate meat and vegetables. Chefs in tempura restaurants blend sesame and cottonseed oil for deep-frying. Sesame oil was a preferred cooking oil in India until the advent of peanut oil.
Mexican cuisine refers to sesame seeds as Ajonjolí (derived from Arabic). It is mainly used as a sauce additive, such as mole or adobo. It is often also used to sprinkle over artisan breads and baked in traditional form to coat the smooth dough, especially on whole wheat flat breads or artisan nutrition bars, such as alegrías. Mexico exports a large amount of its sesame seed crop to North and South America.
Although sesame leaves are edible as a potherb,[3] recipes for Korean cuisine calling for "sesame leaves" are often a mistranslation, and really mean perilla.[1]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2,372 kJ (567 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 26.04 g |
| - Sugars | 0.48 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 16.9 g |
| Fat | 48.00 g |
| Protein | 16.96 g |
| - Tryptophan | 0.371 g |
| - Threonine | 0.704 g |
| - Isoleucine | 0.730 g |
| - Leucine | 1.299 g |
| - Lysine | 0.544 g |
| - Methionine | 0.560 g |
| - Cystine | 0.342 g |
| - Phenylalanine | 0.899 g |
| - Tyrosine | 0.710 g |
| - Valine | 0.947 g |
| - Arginine | 2.515 g |
| - Histidine | 0.499 g |
| - Alanine | 0.886 g |
| - Aspartic acid | 1.574 g |
| - Glutamic acid | 3.782 g |
| - Glycine | 1.162 g |
| - Proline | 0.774 g |
| - Serine | 0.925 g |
| Water | 5.00 g |
| Vitamin C | 0.0 mg (0%) |
| Calcium | 131 mg (13%) |
| Iron | 7.78 mg (60%) |
| Magnesium | 346 mg (97%) |
| Phosphorus | 774 mg (111%) |
| Potassium | 406 mg (9%) |
| Sodium | 39 mg (3%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2,640 kJ (630 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 11.73 g |
| - Sugars | 0.48 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 11.6 g |
| Fat | 61.21 g |
| Protein | 20.45 g |
| - Tryptophan | 0.330 g |
| - Threonine | 0.730 g |
| - Isoleucine | 0.750 g |
| - Leucine | 1.500 g |
| - Lysine | 0.650 g |
| - Methionine | 0.880 g |
| - Cystine | 0.440 g |
| - Phenylalanine | 0.940 g |
| - Tyrosine | 0.790 g |
| - Valine | 0.980 g |
| - Arginine | 3.250 g |
| - Histidine | 0.550 g |
| - Alanine | 0.990 g |
| - Aspartic acid | 2.070 g |
| - Glutamic acid | 4.600 g |
| - Glycine | 1.090 g |
| - Proline | 1.040 g |
| - Serine | 1.200 g |
| Water | 3.75 g |
| Vitamin C | 0.0 mg (0%) |
| Calcium | 60 mg (6%) |
| Iron | 6.4 mg (49%) |
| Magnesium | 345 mg (97%) |
| Phosphorus | 667 mg (95%) |
| Potassium | 370 mg (8%) |
| Sodium | 47 mg (3%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
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Up to 2.5 percent of sesame seed is furofuran lignans, predominantly sesamin, sesamolin and sesaminol glucosides; these compounds benefitially effect the metabolism of fatty acids, and impair cholesterol absorption and biosynthesis. Additionally these lignans possess antioxidant as well as vitamin E-sparing and hypotensive effects. the lignans also helps liver function with regard to alcohol metabolism and possess antiaging properties.[4] The seeds are exceptionally rich in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon[5] for unhulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E (tocopherol).[6] They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content.[7] Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol. The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption, as in tahini.
Sesame seeds contain a high amount of the anti-nutrient phytic acid.
Women of ancient Babylon would eat halva, a mixture of honey and sesame seeds to prolong youth and beauty, while Roman soldiers ate the mixture for strength and energy.[8]
There have been erroneous claims that sesame seeds also contain THC which may be detectable on random screening. This error stems from a misunderstanding of the commercial drug Dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC. The normal delivery mechanism for synthetic dronabinol is via infusion into sesame oil and encapsulation into soft gelatin capsules. As a result some people are under the mistaken assumption that sesame oil naturally contains THC. In fact, THC, CBD, CBN and the other cannabinoids are unique to the Cannabis genus.
Sesame oil is used for massage and health treatments of the body (abhyanga and shirodhara) and teeth (oil pulling) in the ancient Indian ayurvedic system. Ayurveda views sesame oil as the most viscous of the plant oils and believes it may pacify the health problems associated with Vata aggravation.
Sesame seeds may produce an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis.[9] Prevalence of sesame allergy varies per country. While it is one or the three most common allergens in Israel,[10] sesame prevalence is considered small relative to other allergens in the United States.[11] [12] That said, even some experts consider sesame allergies to have "increased more than any other type of food allergy over the past 10 to 20 years" in the United States. [9] Such increasing prevalence led Canada to issue regulations that require food labels to note the presence of sesame.[13]
In addition to products derived from sesame such as tahini and sesame oil,[14] persons with sesame allergies are warned to stay away from a broad assortment of processed foods including baked goods, tempeh, and generic "vegetable oil."[15] In addition to possible food sources, allergenic persons are warned that a variety of non-food sources may also trigger a reaction to sesame, including adhesive bandages, cosmetics, hair care products, perfumes, soaps and sunscreens, drugs, some fungicides and insecticides, lubricants, ointments and topical oils, and pet food.[15] [16]
At least one study found that "standard skin and blood testing for food allergies doesn’t predict whether a child has true sesame allergy." [17] [9] In which case, a food challenge under direction of a physician may be required to properly diagnose a sesame allergy.
There appears to be cross-reactivity between sesame allergens and peanut, rye, kiwi, poppy seed, and various tree nuts (such as hazelnut, black walnut, cashew, macadamia and pistachio).[16] [18]
Sesame is grown in many parts of the world on over 5 million acres (20,000 km2). The largest producers of the crop in 2007 were India, China, Myanmar, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Nigeria. Seventy percent of the world's sesame crop is grown in Asia, with Africa growing 26%.[19]
Beginning in the 1950s, U.S. production of the crop has been largely centered in Texas, with acreage fluctuating between 10,000 to 20,000 acres (40 to 80 km2) in recent years. The country's crop does not make up a significant global source; indeed imports have now outstripped domestic production.[20]
Sesame is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the Turnip Moth.