About Sesame

Where Does Sesame Come From ?

Sesame seed is tiny in size, but its savory taste and nutrition have been celebrated by humans for thousands of years. It’s also one of the most indispensable ingredients in many cuisines and pastries. Who discovered sesame, such a magical ingredient?

Found throughout history, mythology and sites of ancient civilizations, sesame appeared in the ancient civilizations of the Egyptian and Mesopotamia around 3000 to 4000 B.C.According to Osawa Toshihiko, professor at Aichi Gakuin University and former professor at Department of Food Science and Technology, Nagoya University, after thousands of years of variety improvement, most wild relatives of sesame are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, he concluded that the origin of sesames is Africa. The theory raised by Professor Osawa is supported by many experts and scholars in the world.

Wild sesame, grown in the savanna zone of Africa, was discovered and eaten by humans who hunted around the area. Sesame seed became a source of oil, protein, and mineral supplements. The savory taste of sesame also surprised people in poor dining conditions who realized sesame’s “smooth and aromatic” taste.

As a result, sesame followed the steps of human migration and began to spread widely. It moved from the African savanna to the Sahara Desert, ending up in ancient civilizations in Egypt and Morocco in North Africa, then into Europe and Asia. Not until the great sailing era of the 17th century was sesame brought to the American continent for cultivation through the Atlantic slave trade by Europeans.

Ancient Egyptians Fanatically Loved Sesame

Legend has it that when the merchants of ancient Egypt went south to the middle reaches of the Nile River and traded with the residents of the savanna, they quickly fell in love with sesame after tasting the delicious sesame seed. They were fascinated by the aroma and taste of sesame, and were even willing to exchange a cow for a sesame seed to bring it back to Egypt for cultivation.

Once sesame seeds touched the fertile plains of ancient Egypt, they were cultivated and produced on a large scale, becoming an important trade commodity between different tribes. Ancient Egyptians used sesame to the fullest. Sesame oil can be found in cooking, medical treatments, cosmetics, and as a preservative for mummies. Archaeologists even found sesame in ancient Egyptian pyramids and tomb sites. It is said that Cleopatra applied sesame oil to her entire body as a skincare routine. She also blended malachite and galena powder with sesame oil, the then-popular makeup method in Egypt and applied it around the eye in her quest of lasting youth.

Meaning of the Expression "Open sesame"

At around 3000 BC, a group of highly urbanized Sumerians lived in the two river basins of the Middle East (located in present-day Iraq, also known as the Mesopotamian Plain). Sesame was an important crop in daily life. Sumerians planted sesame in the summer, cooked with sesame oil and made sesame cakes. In Babylonian creation myths, wine made from sesame is the drink of the gods. Drinking sesame wine gave the gods the power to create the world, it was rumored. In addition, sesame wine and sesame cakes served as an offering by local residents who needed to call upon the gods for intervention with illness, misfortune or to have wishes granted.

Residents of the ancient Mesopotamian saw sesame as a god’s crop. They believed sesame possessed mysterious power in spite of it’s tiny size. When it comes to religion, sesame’s importance is far greater than wheat, oats, peas and other crops.. Therefore, in the Arabian Nights tale of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, Ali Baba and the thieves must shout “open sesame” to open the door of the treasure den. The author argue that the term “open sesame” was coined due to the tendency of the sesame to open, letting the seeds inside pop out when dried sesame is touched.. This is interpreted in Arabian Nights as the door of the treasure den the storyteller means that the door of the den can be opening easily.

Oldest Medical Therapy Favors Sesame

After sesame was introduced to India, the Indians domesticated wild sesame and improved the variety to increase the yield. Archaeologists discovered a large number of carbonized sesame fossils in the ruins of the ancient city of Harappa, now in Pakistan, on the Indus Plain. Year after year, India had a bumper harvest and the output increased. Ancient Indians used sesame more extensively. From diet and god-worshiping to medical treatment, sesame was used in generous quantities. In Hinduism, sesame represents immortality and auspiciousness, and sesame is regarded as a pure sacrifice. During religious rituals, Hindus would mix the black and white sesame with rice grains and offer it to the gods and ancestors.

More than 5,000 years old, the world’s oldest Indian Ayurveda therapy calls for clear white sesame oil to massage patients. During Shirodhara, a form or Ayurveda therapy , lukewarm white sesame oil is slowly poured over the patient’s forehead (the Indian has a third eye between the eyebrows). This relaxes the , helping them achieve a physiological balance.

Sesame oil contains antioxidants and moisturizes dry skin, warming cold hands and feet. In Ayurveda Therapy, the oldest medicine in the world with more than 5,000 years of history, therapists massage with clear white sesame oil. For example, during Shirodhara treatment, the therapist slowly drips the lukewarm white sesame oil on the area between the eyebrows at the patient’s forehead (Indians believes in the third eye) so that the patient can relax and achieve physical and mental balance.

Sesame Used by the Chinese for Longevity

Two thousand years ago, Zhang Qian, a Chinese diplomat during the Han dynasty, followed the Silk Road between the Han Dynasty and the Eurasian countries and brought sesame seeds from Dayuan, Central Asia back to China for cultivation. At that time, the Han Dynasty called foreigners Hu. The sesame seed from the west was called Hu Ma and the name is still used today. The Chinese sesame seeds introduced from the West were originally domesticated in Egypt and the Middle East. These are strong in smell and rich in fats. Widely cultivated, it was popular in Han dynasty and generally used in cooking.

The nutritional value of sesame for human health is deeply appreciated by the Chinese. In the earliest existing medical book in China, The Classic of Herbal Medicine, sesame is described as sweet, nutritious, beneficial for longevity.

The famous doctor in the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen, made a detailed explanation of sesame seeds in his great work Compendium of Materia Medica. Su Shi, a poet of Northern Song, known for his health-consciousness and love of food, enjoyed eating sesame. In addition to his recipes featuring sesame, he ate black sesame to cure haemorrhoids and applied sesame flower to papules on the skin. Longevity seekers regarded sesame as food for the gods.

In the Records of the Hidden and the Visible Worlds from the Northern and Southern dynasties, is a story about two men, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao, who go intothe mountain in search of longevity herbs. They were trapped in the mountain and met two beauties. The beauties invited them home and they married and often ate sesame rice. Later, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao became homesick and got approval from the beauties to visit relatives at home. However, when they returned to their hometown, they found that everything has changed. It turned out that during the six months they lived in the mountain, seven generations have passed. Liu and Ruan had maintained their youthful appearance because of eating sesame rice. Poet Wang Changling from the Tang Dynasty also talked about the health benefit of sesame in his poem titled “Zhu Lian Shi Shan Fang”.

Olympic Athletes Eat Sesame Seeds for Nutrition

Sesame spread to Greece and Rome through the Egyptian trade activities. The ancient Greeks and Romans regarded sesame as a healthy, expensive ingredient and an important crop. Hippocrates, Greek physician and father of Western medicine, advocated the concept of “let food be your medicine”, encouraging people to eat more nutrient rich sesame seeds For example, athletes participating in the Olympic Games exercise extensively. They eat sesame before the game to ensure enough calories to perform.

Sparta, one of the many city-states in ancient Greece, advocated force and trained strong soldiers with strict military education. The leaders required these soldiers to eat sesame seeds, and even sent sesame seeds to the battlefield as provisions to restore the soldiers’ physical strength. Other Greeks and Romans baked sesame slices with sesame seeds and honey as a daily snack .