Sesame seed

Sesame seed
Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3000 years ago.
It was a major summer crop in the Middle East for thousands of years, as attested to by the
discovery of many ancient presses for sesame oil in the region.Sesame is highly tolerant to
drought like conditions, making it suitable to grow where other crops may fail.Sesame has one
of the highest oil contents of any seed. With a rich nutty flavor, it is a common ingredient
in cuisines across the world.Like other nuts and foods, it can trigger allergic reactions in
some people.The world harvested about 3.84 million metric tonnes of sesame seeds in 2010. The
largest producer of sesame seeds in 2010 was Burma.The world’s largest exporter of sesame seeds
was India, and Japan the largest importer.Sesame is very drought-tolerant, in part due to its
extensive root system. However, it requires adequate moisture for germination and early growth.
While the crop survives drought as well as presence of excess water, the yields are significantly
lower in either conditions. Moisture levels before planting and flowering impact yield most.Most
commercial cultivars of sesame are intolerant of water-log.After harvesting, the seeds are usually
cleaned and hulled. In some countries, once the seeds have been hulled, they are passed through an
electronic colour-sorting machine that rejects any discolored seeds to ensure perfectly coloured
sesame seeds.