Sesame is the flowering plant of which the exact origin is unknown. It is thought to have its closest relatives in Africa although it is available world wide nowadays and is used fro cultivating its seeds that people consume. The plants are tall and thin and grown on a yearly basis. The flowers that they produce are a range of shades of white to shades of purple. The word sesame comes from Latin sesamum.

Sesame is mostly cultivated for its oil-rich seeds. They have many different colors through the range from white to black. The seeds themselves are used for their rich and fragrant nutty flavors and also the oil is extracted and sold as sesame seed oil. It is very common to see sesame seeds on top of buns and bagels. They are sometimes baked into crackers to give them extra flavor.

Sesame seeds are sometimes made into pastes and sweets. In the Middle East they make halvah with it and in India, popular and traditional confectionery is made with sesame mixed with syrup or honey. In India, sesame oil was used a lot until peanut oil replaced it. In the Far East, sesame seeds are used to compliment dishes such as dim sum, marinate meat and vegetables and other confectionary dishes.

Health wise, sesame seeds have an abundant supply of manganese, calcium and copper. They also contain strong antioxidants called lignans. It can also be used for therapeutic massage and is so used in ayurvedic medicine where the oil is used in massages called abhyanga and shirodhara.

It is clear to see why it is such a popular plant and has been for so many years. The different uses for its seeds and plant leaves can be seen all around the world. It is relatively easy and cheap to grow and can be grown in mass quantities.