"Open Sesame" -- The 411 on sesame.

To follow up on our last post, our blogs will be focused on sharing my learning on how different ingredients are used in different cultures. And sometimes I will post histories behind holidays and how they're celebrated across the world. 

So back to sesame seeds.  We use golden sesame seeds in our sesame praline bonbon. This was our way to celebrate American and Japanese cultures in a bonbon. Americans are the number one consumer of almonds, while Japanese is one of the highest consumer of sesame.  (Source 1,4) 

There are 3 types of sesame seeds: white, golden, and black sesame.  And no, the golden sesame is not the roasted version of the white sesame. 

History: 

It turns out sesame seeds was first grown in India around 3500 BC.  The Egyptians was one of the first to understand the health benefit of sesame seeds.  While the Turks was the first one to press them into an oil.  (source#2)

Global supply and demand: 

In 2020, the top 3 producers for sesame seeds are Sudan, Myanmar, and Tanzania. Sudan produces 1.5 ton of sesame seeds (Source# 3).  While the top 3 consumers of sesame in 2016 are:  China, Japan, and India. (Source #4). I've linked some recipes that uses sesame seeds below.    

Honestly this came as a complete surprise to me. How about you, were you surprised?  Love to hear your thoughts on this. 

Have a decadent day, 

Charlotte W. 

Chinese, Japanese, and Indian Recipes using sesame seeds: 

Sources: