Organic SESAME SEED 
(Sesamum Indicum)
 
100% Fresh Seeds

Sesame (Sesamum indicum), erect annual plant of the family Pedaliaceae, grown since antiquity for its seeds, which are used as food and flavouring and from which a prized oil is extracted. Widely cultivated, the sesame plant is found in most of the tropical, subtropical, and southern temperate areas of the world. The aroma and taste of sesame seed are mild and nutlike. The chief constituent of the seed is its fixed oil, which usually amounts to about 44 to 60 percent. Noted for its stability, the oil resists oxidative rancidity. The seeds are also high in protein and are rich in thiamin and vitamin B6.

Uses
Sesame oil is used as a salad oil or cooking oil, in shortening and margarine, and in the manufacture of soaps, pharmaceuticals, and lubricants. Sesame oil is used as an ingredient in cosmetics. The press cake remaining after the oil is expressed is highly nutritious.

The whole seed is used extensively in the cuisines of the Middle East and Asia. Halvah is a confection made of crushed and sweetened sesame seeds. In Europe and North America the seeds are used to flavour and garnish various foods, particularly breads and other baked goods.

Physical description
Depending on conditions, sesame varieties grow from about 0.5 to 2.5 metres (2 to 9 feet) tall; some have branches, others do not. One to three flowers appear in the leaf axils. The hulled seeds are creamy or pearly white and about 3 mm (0.1 inch) long and have a flattened pear shape. The seed capsules open when dry, allowing the seed to scatter. Considerable hand labour is needed in harvesting to prevent loss of the seeds. With the development of a nonscattering variety of the plant in the mid-20th century, mechanized harvesting of the crop was made possible.


Essential-oil extracts
These extracts are prepared by dissolving an essential oil in alcohol of the proper strength, adding water and, where desirable and permitted by law, a small amount of certified food colour. They include almond, anise, celery, cassia or cinnamon, clove, lemon, nutmeg, orange, rosemary, savory, basil, sweet marjoram, thyme, and wintergreen.