An annual (Sesamum indicum) growing to 60 cm/2 ft, probably native to SE Asia; leaves opposite and usually lobed below, alternate above; flowers c.3 cm/1¼ in long, white, usually marked with purple or yellow, solitary in the leaf axils; fruit an oblong capsule. It is cultivated in warmer countries for its seeds, which are used for baking and as a source of oil in margarine, soap manufacture, and cosmetics. (Family: Pedaliaceae.)
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Sesamum indicum L. The word sesame is from Latin sesamum, borrowed from Greek sēsámon "seed or fruit of the sesame plant", borrowed from Semitic (cf. Sesame seeds can be made into a paste called tahini (used in hummus) and a Middle Eastern and Indian confection called halvah. East Asian cuisines, like Chinese cuisine uses sesame seeds and oil in some dishes, such as the dim sum dish, sesame seed balls (Traditional Chinese: 麻糰; The seeds are rich in manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon for unhulled seeds, only 10 mg for hulled seeds), and contain Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and Vitamin E (tocopherol). Although sesame leaves are edible as a potherb, recipes for Korean cuisine calling for "sesame leaves" are often a mistranslation, and really mean perilla.
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