all about spices and herbs

Synonyms: Gingelly, benne
Forms of use: Seeds (dried, whole or ground)
Origin: Sesame belongs among the oldest cultivated plans in the world. It originated in Mesopotamia between the Euphrates and the Tigris, and in India and Africa a thousand years ago. Sesame spread to China, Japan and the Mediterranean countries. It is cultivated in Turkey, India, China, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico today.
Aroma: Sesame does not smell and its taste is nutty and slightly sweet.
Use; Sesame is used mainly as an ingredient in bread and rolls, muesli and in roast flakes in Central Europe. In Asian cuisine, meat and fish are fried in crunchy sesame butter, vegetable dishes are seasoned with gomasio, soups are spiced with tahini and sesame is added to sweet dishes of all types. Particularly in Chinese cuisine, sesame oil from roasted sesame seeds is often used as a spice.
Buying/storing: Sesame is available in well-supplied supermarkets or in Turkish groceries. Buy sesame in whole seed form and store it in a cool, dark, dry place.
Properties: A sesame plant has long, straight up to 6 feet high herbaceous stems with long, oval leaves. Its blossoms are white or wine red and resemble foxglove. Seeds are ripe 12 weeks after sowing. They are found in long pods and are about 2 mm. The plant is cut and dried in bundles. The pods open slowly and sesame falls out, hence the expression: Öpen sesame”.
Sesame is composed of, depending on its particular form, up to 50 percent oil, which consists almost of several fold unsaturated fatty acids, 20-4- percent protein and a significant amount of vitamin E, lecithin and niacin. Moreover, it is rich in calcium, iron and magnesium.
Medicinal Use: Sesame has detoxifying as well as laxative functions. It promotes menses and prevents hair loss and headaches. Because of its high content of calcium and essential fatty acids, it is recommended for osteoporosis prophylaxis. Sesame oil is used in traditional Asiatic medicine as well as in massage oil and is supposed to aid in relaxation.

TAHINI
Tahini is a paste prepared from ground sesame. It is available either with or without salt in natural food stores, shop selling dietetic products or in Arab groceries. The paste is used to spice meat and vegetable dishes in Oriental cuisine. Spread on bread as a healthy, exotic and delicious alternative to salami or marmalade.

GOMASIO
Gomasio, also known as sesame salt, is a mix of toasted, ground sesame and sea salt. It has been used as a traditional spice in Japan for centuries. Gomasio should never be hot and should be added to dishes just before eating to preserve its nutty aroma. Gomasio should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed as soon as possible.

Tips for cooking:
Sesame develops its full nutty aroma only when roasted. For piquant dishes, crush the seeds in a mortar with a little salt to intensify the taste. Sesame can go stale fast if it becomes damp.