Sesame

Sesame (Sesamum, from Turkish: susam) is a genus of annual herbaceous plants in the Pedaliaceae family.

Sesame is native to Africa. It is grown in North Africa, the Mediterranean, etc.; most often in India, China, Pakistan; in Bulgaria – in the southern regions.

It is used for food, in the food and beverage industry, in the medical industry, in confectionery, etc.; sesame oil – in pharmaceutical practice as a solvent for vitamins and other preparations.

Sesame in the cuisines of different nations

• Ground sesame seeds (tahini in Arabic) are a staple in the production of halva, a spread made throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
• Tahini is used to season hummus, kebab sauces, and is most often mixed with lemon and garlic in a bread sauce – the popular Arabic appetizer mezze.
• In Mexico, sesame oil is called ajonjoli and is widely used in cooking.
• White sesame seeds are used in dishes from Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine, where meat or fish is rolled in sesame seeds before frying to give it a crispy crust.
• Black sesame is an ingredient in gomassio, a Japanese spice blend, and in rice dishes and Asian noodles.
• In Bulgaria, tahini is primarily associated with sesame tahini halva.