Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds

The most commonly used seeds in the world being the little seed of the one of the oldest cultivated plants. They are used extensively in the Middle East as tahini (sesame spread) and halvah (a confectionary). The Japanese use sesame seeds roasted and blended with sea salt as a seasoning known as gomasio and also use sesame seeds on sushi rolls. Many other Asian countries use sesame oil in cooking and for dressings.

There are black and white (tan) sesame seeds and they both have very similar properties, the black ones are slightly higher in nutrients.

Sesame seeds are more than 55% oil, they contain 20% protein and some vitamin A and E. They contain most of the B vitamins except for B12 and folic acid. They are abundant in minerals such as zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and potassium. They have exceptionally high levels of calcium – a good replacement for dairy!

Soaking them overnight then lightly pan-roasting before grinding them can make them more digestible. Otherwise they have to be chewed very well otherwise they can pass right through us. They can be eaten raw, dried, roasted or cooked with all kinds of foods.

They can be beneficial for constipation, blurry vision, ringing in the ears, low backache, weak knees, stiff joints, headache and dizziness.

They are great added to other foods such as grains and legumes which gives a better protein content, mixed through nuts or other seeds, blended with seasonings such as caraway, dill or anise.

Look out for the black sesame seeds too!