White Sesame Seeds, Sesamum indicum, are also known as benne, white sesame, white sesame seeds, sesame seed white or sesame seeds. It is one of the earliest cultivated crops in the history of spices.

The name comes from the Greek word Sesamon. Wild sesame plants originated in and are still found in Asia and eastern Africa, but it is believed that the indicum strain was first domesticated in India. Sesame seeds contain 40-60% oil.

White Sesame Seeds are frequently purchased by Middle Eastern, pizza, and bagel and breakfast restaurants; brew pubs; independent spice shops; olive oil shops; and seasoning companies.

Flavor Profile

Sesame seeds have a light, nutty, almost buttery flavor with a lot of crunch.

How to Use

These white seeds can be ground up to make a multipurpose paste called tahini, which can be turned into a sauce, dressing, marinade, as a base for hummus, and as a dip all on its own.  It’s an excellent substitute for peanut butter when creating dishes for people with allergies. Try this Tahini Sauce the next time you make Falafel or Falafel Sandwich, or some Homemade Hummus.

Sesame seeds are commonly seen sprinkled over breads and bread products so look for them on bagels and rolls, or rolled into crackers. Sesame seeds are an integral ingredient in Mole Poblano. They’re a great garnish, tossed over Smoky Pork Wontons in Sichuan Red Chili Oil or Spicy Thai Noodles. Add them to sushi for crunchy contrast. You can put them to Peanut Brittle for some extra texture or make benne candy with brown sugar and butter.

White Sesame Seeds pair well with chicken, pork, tuna, bread, noodles, soy sauce, chickpeas, shallots, garlic, mint, cilantro, mustard, sumac, honey, and fruits.