sesame seeds white and black..

Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1600 BC. Sesame seeds have been used throughout history as both a food source and for sesame seed oil. Sesame seeds are high in copper,

manganese, calcium and magnesium. 

Sesame seeds also provide iron, phosporus,

and zinc, vitamin B1 and vitamin E.

The minerals found in sesame seeds play a crucial role in health.

Sesame seeds can easily be added to a 

variety of menu items, adding taste, texture, and eye-appeal. Sesame seeds add a nutty

taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch

to many Asian dishes. 

They are also the main ingredient in 'Tahini' 

of Middle Eastern dishes such as humus and falafel. Tahini, or sesame seed paste is made from whole sesame seeds.

The term "sesame butter" can sometimes

refer to tahini made from sesame seed kernels, or it can also be used to mean a seed paste made from whole sesame seeds.

Sesame is grown primarily for its oil-rich 

seeds, which come in a variety of colors, 

from cream-white to charcoal-black.

Black sesame seeds are small, flat seeds, 

dark in color, that are used in cooking or for their medicinal properties. The use of sesame seeds and sesame oil dates back thousands 

of years. Sesame oil, or 'Gingelly,'  is not just 

a tasty, useful food product.

It is derived from the sesame seed, sesame 

oil is best known as a common ingredient 

in Asian and East Indian cooking.

Sesame oil has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and pain

reliever in skin conditions, gum disease

and a variety of other illnesses.

Modern science now knows that sesame 

oil is a powerful antioxidant.

In Hindu legends and beliefs, tales are 

told in which sesame seeds represent

a symbol of immortality and the God Maha Vishnu's consort Maha Sri Devi herself representing the properties of the sesame 

seed, as such it is considered as the most auspicious oil next to Ghee used in Hindu

rituals and prayers. In Orissa, Raashi ladu (sweet made of Sesame) is a must as an 

offering to Lord Ganesha. Black sesame seeds are mixed with grains of rice and offered

to the manes. White sesame seeds mixed

with rice are offered to the gods and seers 

of the Veda. Both of these offerings are

called tarpanam.

Sesame oil is used to pacify the malefic 

effect of Lord Shani (Saturn).