The mighty sesame seed has been an integral part of many important dishes throughout the world for centuries. One of the oldest oilseed crops known, sesame seeds are thought to have been domesticated more than 3,000 years ago.
White sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, and brown sesame seeds. Roasted, crushed, and made in to oils. Sweet or savory dishes…you name it. In the Middle East, the crushed sesame seeds make the creamy tahini that used to make hummus, Israeli halvah, and Tahini sauce for falafel. Roasted sesame oil is an essential component in and over a lot of iconic dishes in Asia. In southern China, black sesame seeds are crushed with rice to make black sesame soup, a staple of dim sum. Roasted sesame seeds are also used to coat “Greek sesame seed bagels” called koulouri, and Italian and Danish bread sticks. They also blend with other seeds to make crunchy seed toppings like Egypt’s dukkah.
Explore this magnificent little seed and its many forms by cooking the dishes that have counted on it to make them famous:
