Black sesame seed
LATIN NAME: SESAMUM INDICUM
COMMON NAME: Sesame, Benne, Gingelly, Black Sesame
The sesame is one of the oldest and most beloved of the oilseed plants, and its small, flat, golden or black seeds have been a treasured food of the warm lands for thousands of years. It grows as an annual herb of the sesame family, reaching up to a metre and a half, with an upright stem bearing oval, toothed leaves and, in the warm season, small, tubular, white, pink or purple flowers borne in the leaf axils, followed by upright, rectangular, hairy capsules which split open at maturity to release the many small, flat, oval seeds, in shades of white, brown or black. It is a species of the sesame family, and its numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India, while it is widely naturalised in the tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, with the world production in the recent years in the millions of tonnes, and India, Myanmar and Sudan among the largest producers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The sesame has a genuine and distinguished place in both nutritional and agricultural research. It has been studied in nutritional science, since the small seeds are rich in oil, protein and a range of beneficial compounds, and researchers have examined the composition of the seeds, their oil and their value as a food, while the seed oil of the sesame has been a treasured oil of the warm lands for a very long time, and the nutritional value of the sesame has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a humble seed of great worth. The plant has also been studied in agriculture, since it is one of the oldest and most important of the oilseed crops, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its many varieties and its improvement, while the breeding of the higher-yielding and the more resilient varieties has been of continuing interest, and the adaptation of the plant to the warm, dry regions has been examined. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the sesame family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a seed of such ancient worth, the sesame has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Sesame from seed, ecologically, the sesame is a generous plant of the warm fields. Its tubular flowers feed the bees and the insects, and its leafy growth gives cover, while it is a bright presence in the fields and the waysides of the warm lands. Its economic value is enormous: the small seeds are a treasured food of the warm lands, used in baking, confectionery and cooking, and the seed oil is a valued oil, while the world production of the sesame runs into the millions of tonnes, with India, Myanmar and Sudan among the largest producers, and the value of the humble seed has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press. To start the sesame along, sow the seeds directly in a pot or a bed of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the warmth.
sow the seeds directly in a pot or a bed of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep the young sesame lightly watered, and grow the little plants on in the warmth.
LATIN NAME: Sesamum indicum
COMMON NAME: Sesame, Benne, Gingelly
The sesame is one of the oldest and most beloved of the oilseed plants, and its small, flat, golden or black seeds have been a treasured food of the warm lands for thousands of years. It grows as an annual herb of the sesame family, reaching up to a metre and a half, with an upright stem bearing oval, toothed leaves and, in the warm season, the small, tubular, white, pink or purple flowers, borne in the leaf axils, followed by the upright, rectangular, hairy capsules, which split open at the maturity to release the many small, flat, oval seeds, in shades of white, brown or black. It is a species of the sesame family, and its numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India, while it is widely naturalised in the tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in the pods, with the world production in the recent years in the millions of tonnes, and India, Myanmar and Sudan among the largest producers.
The sesame belongs to the sesame family, Pedaliaceae, and it is a plant in the genus Sesamum, also called the benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India, and it is widely naturalised in the tropical regions around the world, cultivated for its edible seeds, while it is known as the sesame, the benne or the gingelly.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The sesame has a genuine and distinguished place in both nutritional and agricultural research. It has been studied in the nutritional science, since the small seeds are rich in the oil, the protein and the range of the beneficial compounds, and researchers have examined the composition of the seeds, their oil and their value as a food, while the seed oil of the sesame has been a treasured oil of the warm lands for a very long time, and the nutritional value of the sesame has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a humble seed of great worth. The plant has also been studied in agriculture, since it is one of the oldest and most important of the oilseed crops, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its many varieties and its improvement, while the breeding of the higher-yielding and the more resilient varieties has been of continuing interest, and the adaptation of the plant to the warm, dry regions has been examined. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the sesame family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a seed of such ancient worth, the sesame has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the sesame is a generous plant of the warm fields. Its tubular flowers feed the bees and the insects, and its leafy growth gives cover, while it is a bright presence in the fields and the waysides of the warm lands.
Its economic value is enormous. The small seeds are a treasured food of the warm lands, used in the baking, the confectionery and the cooking, and the seed oil is a valued oil, while the world production of the sesame runs into the millions of tonnes, with India, Myanmar and Sudan among the largest producers, and the value of the humble seed has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press. For a grower, the sesame is an easy and generous plant, and for a gardener in a warm region it brings small, tubular flowers and a harvest of golden or black seeds. The seeds are simple — sow them directly in a pot or a bed of moist, free-draining soil in a warm, sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and theyll sprout within a week or two, growing on into a plant bearing a harvest of treasured seeds.
Uses: Edible.Medicinal