Black Sesame Seeds

Name: Black sesame seeds — the black-coated form of sesame (Sesamum indicum), typically sold unhulled. They are known in Japan as kuro goma and in China as hei zhi ma. White sesame seeds are described on their own page.

Description

Sesame is one of the oldest oilseed crops, cultivated for thousands of years in Africa and India, and black sesame is particularly valued across East Asia. In Chinese traditional medicine, black sesame is considered a nourishing food, and in Japan and China it is used in sweets, soups and sauces.

The seeds are slightly more bitter and earthy than white sesame, with a stronger toasted flavour, and are often toasted before use. Famous dishes include sweet black sesame paste or soup in Chinese cooking, gomashio (sesame salt) in Japan, and black sesame ice cream and mochi.

Main nutrition value

Black sesame seeds are rich in calcium (because the hull is kept on), as well as healthy unsaturated fat, protein, fibre, iron, magnesium and copper, and they contain lignans such as sesamin.

How best to be consumed

Black sesame is best toasted and ground, which releases flavour and aids digestion.

1. Toast lightly in a dry pan, then sprinkle over rice, noodles, salads and vegetables.
2. Grind into pastes for desserts, sauces and soups, as in Chinese sweet black sesame soup.
3. Mix with salt to make gomashio, a Japanese table seasoning.
4. Use in baking, such as bread, biscuits and cakes.
5. Grind rather than eating whole, since whole seeds can pass through the gut undigested.

Overconsumption could cause…

Black sesame is safe in food amounts, but sesame is a major allergen.

1. Sesame allergy, which can be severe, and is now a recognised major allergen in many countries, so anyone allergic should avoid it.
2. Weight gain from eating large amounts, since seeds are energy-dense.
3. Digestive discomfort from a large amount of fibre and fat at once.
4. Oxalates in unhulled sesame, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts.

GroupsSeeds

Related foodsBasil SeedsCaraway SeedsChia SeedsCumin SeedsFennel SeedsFlaxseeds / Linseeds

Wikipedia — Sesame, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame