NUTRITIONAL INFO
Macronutrients
- Source of protein
- High in fibre
- Low in salt
Vitamins & Minerals
- High in Vitamin E
- Source of Vitamin B6 and Folic acid
- High in Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper and Manganese
COUNTRIES OF ORGIN
- Tanzania
- India
HARVESTED
September to April
VARIETIES
Sesamum types originate from Africa, while indicum types are Indian. For most, the easiest way of differentiating the seeds is by colour, as sesame seeds come in shades of brown, red, black, yellow, and the most common seed, a pale greyish cream. Darker shades tend to be used for oil production, while the lighter seeds are used for baking and snacking.
FORMATS
- Whole
OTHER POINTS TO NOTE
Sesame seed capsules automatically open when the seeds are ripe – perhaps the origin of the phrase ‘open sesame’! The discovery in the 1940s of a ‘mutant variety’, with seed pods that don’t naturally open, allowed breeders to develop a plant that produced less natural wastage, and could be mechanically harvested.
