This ancient plant was consumed by gods, immortalized in folklore and is today used all over the over the world. According to Assyrian myth, the gods drank sesame wine the night before they created the earth. Sesame is also featured prominently in the folktale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, where a cave filled with treasure can only be opened by saying "Open Sesame!" Its believed that sesame was used as password because the popping sound sesame pods make when they ripe, may have resembled the sound of the cave door opening.
Today, most people recognize sesame as the seeds sprinkled on burger buns, or as the aromatic oil used widely in Oriental cooking.
Believed to be native to Asia or Africa, the sesame plant (Sesamum indicum) is an annual, going through an entire life cycle in one year, with a fresh crop being planted each year. Most of the sesame that is harvested worldwide is used to produce sesame oil, which is extracted through compression.
Which are a creamy white in colour. Unhulled or toasted seeds are usually a light brown, but the shade varies according to different degrees of toasting. Black sesame seeds are also available, while other varieties are rare.
Sesame oil keeps well for months and even years without turning rancid, while the raw seeds should be kept like all other herbs and spices - in an airtight container in a cool, dry location. The seeds can keep up till 3 months; if refrigerated, they keep for 6 months, or a year if frozen.
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