I’ve long admired black sesame seeds for the touch of mystery and glamor they add to everything from seared tuna to burger buns. But these days, I’m craving these tiny shards of onyx for their intense nuttiness and subtle sweetness.
In the Middle East and the Far East, sesame seeds are a huge component of the diet. I can’t imagine a childhood without tahini, the paste made from white sesame seeds that gives hummus its luscious velvety texture and delicate nutty undertone. The white seeds also are used to make halva, a sticky, chewy dessert that transforms on your tongue from a texture much like straw to a river of sesame sweetness.
Many cultures also cook with sesame oil, both in its toasted and untoasted forms. In India, where the first cultivated strand originated, we mix sesame seeds with jaggery (unfiltered cane sugar) to make a kind of brittle. But it’s the Far Eastern cultures that really embrace black sesame seeds. Chinese medicine suggests eating them for all manner of health benefits, even preventing premature graying!
Prized for their deep nutty flavor, the seeds find their way into desserts, too. Black sesame paste is used in fillings for mooncakes and is churned into ice creams. I like to think of the flavor as a lighter, more refined peanut butter.