An Herb, Sesame.
"HECATE....Her sacred herbs: willow, henbane, aconite,
yew, mandrake, cyclamen, mint, cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic,
oak, onion."
Perhaps it was the Goddess whose powers led women to
perceive that the divine power in Sesame would stimulate their milk, feeding
their babies. And even before the time of Moses, the wonderful seed had provided
oil for lamps and, in China, when charcoaled, an ink pigment
for ink blocks used for so many centuries on
scrolls and in the type of fine art that only the Chinese have
perfected.....
The Sesame Seed Market
The sesame seed market is divided into three sections,the
largest part is the Far East, dominated by the huge Japanese demand for sesame
seed oil used for cooking. The main Western market features the use of sesame
seeds on hamburger buns, which calls for a very high-grade, white seed.
Guatemala has specialised in growing and processing this type of
seed for the US . The Middle East is a large producer of sesame and some
countries, especially Arab nations, still need to import, mainly from India,
Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea and Nigeria.
Crops are harvested in Nigeria, Burkina Faso,
Mali and Senegal, as well as in the US (see Agronomy, in the next column).
The chief constituent of the seed is its fixed
oil , which usually amounts to about 44 to 60 percent. Noted for its
stability, the oil resists oxidative rancidity. It is used as a salad or cooking
oil, in shortening and margarine, and in the manufacture of soaps,
pharmaceuticals, and lubricants,also cosmetics.
HISTORY AND USES:
Before the time of Moses, the Egyptians used
the ground seed as grain flour and as lamp oil. The Chinese
used it 5,000 years ago, and for centuries they have burned the oil to make soot
for the finest Chinese ink blocks.
The Romans ground sesame seeds with cumin to make a pasty spread
for bread.
Halvah
is a confection made of crushed and
sweetened sesame seeds.Check the link below for an interesting site on types of
Halvah made in greece.
Depending on
conditions, varieties grow from about 0.5 to 2.5 m (2 to 9 feet) tall; some have
branches, others do not. One to three flowers appear in the leaf axils. The
hulled seeds are creamy or pearly white and about 3 mm (0.1 inch) long and have
a flattened pear shape.
The seed capsules open when dry, allowing
the seed to scatter. Considerable hand labour is needed in harvesting to prevent
loss of the seeds. With the development of a nonscattering variety of the plant
in the mid-20th century, mechanized harvesting of the crop was made possible.
Contact Details
Agronomy
"Most capsules split open at maturity but the
indehiscent capsule will not.
Indehiscent, seamless, and shatter resistant lines will not
have the seed drop out when the plant is inverted. There are approximately 50 to
80 seeds per capsule. With the first capsule located 1 to 2.5 feet from ground,
depending on moisture, fertility, variety, and temperatures.
Shattering varieties are used in countries where sesame is
harvested manually. In the United States, shattering types are used to attract
wildlife, particularly doves, quail, and pheasants. It is highly drought
resistant and grows best in areas where cotton does well. It will grow in all
parts of Texas, but frost may injure it on the North Plains (when planted late).
Sesame is a very leafy plant that terminates and self-defoliates without a
frost."
Home of the above notes on Texas Sesame
Production :
The leaves are flat, lanceolate in shape and grow
in clusters of twos and threes. The flowers are pinkish purple in color or white
and are bell shaped. Sesame is planted in the month of May and is harvested by
fall or autumn.
Also known as arbenne and formerly classified as Sesamum orientale L., the
herb is cultivated extensively in many regions of the world, including the
People's Republic of China, India, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan,
Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States.The plant grows erect and reaches a
height of 1 to 2 meters, with fine pubescent leaves, pale rose or white flowers,
and a capsule-type fruit from which seeds are obtained (14.1-4). The reported
life zone for sesame is from 11 to 29 degrees centigrade with an annual
precipitation of 0.2 to 0.4 meters and a soil pH of 4.3 to 8.7 (4.1-31). The
crop does best in a warm temperature with a long growing season.
Sesame is used in China to redress afflictions of the liver and
kidneys. The seeds are prescribed for problems such as dizziness, tinnitus
(ringing in the ears), and blurred vision.
Owing to their lubricating effect within the digestive tract,
the seeds are also considered a remedy for constipation. Sesame seed oil
benefits the skin and is used as a base for cosmetics. A decoction of the root
is used in various traditions to treat coughs and asthma.
Sesame oil is also used as a pharmaceutic
solvent, and sesamolin is also used as a synergist for pyrethrum insecticides
(14.1-35).
The Goddess Hecate:
"Granddaughter of Uranus and Rhea, Hecate- who had three bodies
and three heads (those of a lion, a dog and a mare)- was the only Titan to
retain power after Zeus had overthrown her father Cronus. She is a mysterious,
sinister goddess, connected variously with Demeter, Rhea and Persephone. In her
attendance upon Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, she became a spirit
having to do with ghosts and witchcraft. [Hecate is one of the "secret, black
and midnight hags" to whom Macbeth goes after "the blood boulter'd Banquo" had
appeared at his solemn feast. Here she is "the close contriver of all harms" and
dominant over the Weird Sisters. Lear, in his first explosion of rage, swears by
"the mysteries of Hecate and the night"- though Kent's "Now by Apollo, King,/
Thou swear'st thy gods in vain" indicates that she was not regarded as a common
fiend or deity."
Her sacred herbs: willow, henbane, aconite, yew, mandrake,
cyclamen, mint, cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic, oak, onion.
Sweets, Sweeties and Where it's Happening in the
US.
Useful links below offer very diverse areas
of research
1.Mining for Halvah: the Howl!!
Cook!
The Many Faces of
Halvah:
Sesame Production in Texas: Agronomy
Medicine:
Unhulled seeds
contain more calcium then hulled seeds. The oils extracted from pressed seeds
are used as cooking oil, as a salad oil and in making margarine. The seeds are
sprinkled on top of breads and other baked goods. Dried sesame powder is mixed
with hot water and sugar to form a 'congee' that is eaten as a dessert.
Medicinal uses:
Sesame is supposed to tonify kidney, liver and relax the
bowel. It is used for the treatment of constipation due to hard stools,
tinnitus, anaemia, dizziness and poor vision.
Remedy:
Mix powdered toasted sesame seeds with ground tuckahoe. Stir one
to two teaspoonful into warm water and take in the mornings. Infuse the leaves
in some hot boiling water and use this to gargle and treat inflamed membranes of
the mouth. Use only after tea has cooled down.
http://purplehedge.theshoppe.com/medicinalherbsn-z.htm
Indehiscensce:
What is indehiscence, again?
Main Entry: in·de·his·cent 
Pronunciation:
"in-di-'hi-s&nt
Function: adjective
Date:
1832
: remaining closed at maturity <indehiscent
fruits>
- in·de·his·cence
/-s&n(t)s/ noun
Culture:
'When the seed-bearing capsules inside the flowers become ripe,
they burst open suddenly with a loud "pop," and the seeds scatter. This unusual
style of auto-harvesting is most likely the inspiration for the phrase "Open
Sesame" in the famous story, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves....'
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Herbs&fid=5905
Culinary Facts about Sesame Use:
Sesame seeds are available hulled,
unhulled, or ground and are employed as a condiment in breads, pastries,
crackers, and confections. The seeds are also used in stews for the sweet nutty
taste they develop upon cooking.
Sesame oil , important because of its low cholesterol and high
proportion of polyunsaturated fats, is used in oleomargarine, salad oils, and cooking oils.
Sesame paste or tahini is a popular and nutritious spread in the Middle Eastern
countries.
Sesame seed residues
have been used as a livestock feed.
"Sesame is generally recognized as safe for human consumption as
a spice and natural seasoning (21 CFR section 182.10 [1982]). [Note: References
listed above in parentheses can be found in full in the original
reference]."
Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Index | Purdue Guide to
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/SESAME.html
-------
interest source/WICCA:
http://www.open-sesame.com/welcome.html
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001. sesame (ss´m) (KEY) ,
....yield an oil that resists turning rancid. The oil (known
also as teel oil) is used extensively in India for cooking, soap manufacture,
food, and medicine and as an adulterant for olive oil. ........Sesame was
introduced by African slaves to the U.S. South, where it sometimes becomes a
weed. .....Sesame is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class
Magnoliopsida, order Serophulariales, family Pedaliaceae .
http://www.bartleby.com/65/se/sesame.html
Massage Oil
The seed,
from Sesamum indicum, Aillu, or sesame is often offered in Hindu religious
ritual as it is believed to remote
all sin. Sesame oil is used in daily professional massage.
Sesame oil, with the
accompanying massage ,
provides an effective means of reducing fatigue and stress. http://www.campo-research.com/campo/press/asiainher.html
Ayurveda
"Archeologists
have unearthed the remains of an Assyrian pharmacy that stocked 230 herbs,
including almond, anise, caraway, coriander, juniper, saffron, sesame, turmeric,
and willow.The Ayurveda
....... "
Explore Nutrition:
Today, the oil remains the primary source of fat in many Middle
Eastern and Far Eastern cuisines.
These sites have articles on
vegetarianism by
professional nutritionists:
"Sesame seeds are high in protein, vitamin E, calcium, and
other minerals. They also contain a good-for-you type of monounsaturated fat.
The oil is stable and highly resistant to oxidation (rancidity), due to the
presence of sesamin, a lignan, which is a natural preservative,
stabilizer, and antioxidant.
Although nutritious seeds are not easily digested.. It is
much more efficient to consume sesame seeds in the form of sesame butter or
tahini."
Fresh sesame seeds should be white or light yellow.
"Old and rancid seeds acquire a muddy, grayish look.
Store sesame seeds in sealed plastic bags in the freezer. Store sesame oil,
sesame butter, and tahini in refrigerator."Unrefined sesame oil is dark
yellow to amber in color. Be sure not to confuse plain, unrefined sesame oil
with the Chinese type...
Gomasio
And, last but not least - I can't believe it!
"Women in the Andes seek bird feathers to stimulate
breast milk production!"
In other areas of the Andes, sesame seeds ("ajonjilí"; Sesamum
indicum), heath ("brezo"; Erica vulgaris), and a broth of beef lung may be
served to help a woman's milk comes in.
A paper on a South American bird and breast milk
production by: Steve Froemming
SESAME Family: Pedaliaceae, Sesamum indicum L. Source: Simon, J.E., A.F.
Chadwick and L.E. Craker. 1984. Herbs: An Indexed Bibliography. 1971-1980. The
Scientific Literature on Selected Herbs, and Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of
the Temperate Zone. Archon Books, 770 pp., Hamden, CT. Sesame, Sesaum indicum
L.
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