Sesame seeds are believed to be the oldest spice being used in India over 5000 years ago. Sesame seeds are the primary source of cooking oil in the east. The Chinese used the soot produced from lamps burning sesame oil as their source for the black pigment used in their ink. Sesame seeds arrived with the slaves from West Africa and have been part of our cuisine ever since. The United States imported sesame seeds as a primary source of cooking oil until the mid 1900’s.
The nutty flavor of roasted sesame seeds was used by the ancients as sprinkles on breads and pastries, long before the sesame sprinkled hamburger bun was developed.
Sesame seeds are 1/4th protein. The way that the western world uses sesame seeds as a spice, it is not likely that the seeds make a significant contribution to our diet, but they have a nice flavor and are ‘fun’ to eat.
Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried, 1 tbsp
| Nutrient | Units | 1.00 X 1 tbsp ——- 9g |
|---|---|---|
| Proximates | ||
| Water |
g
|
0.42
|
| Energy |
kcal
|
52
|
| Energy |
kj
|
216
|
| Protein |
g
|
1.60
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
4.47
|
| Ash |
g
|
0.40
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g
|
2.11
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
1.1
|
| Sugars, total |
g
|
0.03
|
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca |
mg
|
88
|
| Iron, Fe |
mg
|
1.31
|
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg
|
32
|
| Phosphorus, P |
mg
|
57
|
| Potassium, K |
mg
|
42
|
| Sodium, Na |
mg
|
1
|
| Zinc, Zn |
mg
|
0.70
|
| Copper, Cu |
mg
|
0.367
|
| Manganese, Mn |
mg
|
0.221
|
| Selenium, Se |
mcg
|
0.5
|
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg
|
0.0
|
| Thiamin |
mg
|
0.071
|
| Riboflavin |
mg
|
0.022
|
| Niacin |
mg
|
0.406
|
| Pantothenic acid |
mg
|
0.005
|
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg
|
0.071
|
| Folate, total |
mcg
|
9
|
| Folic acid |
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food |
mcg
|
9
|
| Folate, DFE |
mcg_DFE
|
9
|
| Vitamin B-12 |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin B-12, added |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU |
IU
|
1
|
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mcg_RAE
|
0
|
| Retinol |
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) |
mg
|
0.02
|
| Vitamin E, added |
mg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) |
mcg
|
0.0
|
| Lipids | ||
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g
|
0.626
|
| 4:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 6:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 8:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 10:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 12:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 14:0 |
g
|
0.011
|
| 16:0 |
g
|
0.400
|
| 18:0 |
g
|
0.188
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g
|
1.688
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.013
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
1.667
|
| 20:1 |
g
|
0.006
|
| 22:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g
|
1.960
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated |
g
|
1.924
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.034
|
| 18:4 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:4 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:6 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
| Phytosterols |
mg
|
64
|
| Amino acids | ||
| Tryptophan |
g
|
0.035
|
| Threonine |
g
|
0.066
|
| Isoleucine |
g
|
0.069
|
| Leucine |
g
|
0.122
|
| Lysine |
g
|
0.051
|
| Methionine |
g
|
0.053
|
| Cystine |
g
|
0.032
|
| Phenylalanine |
g
|
0.085
|
| Tyrosine |
g
|
0.067
|
| Valine |
g
|
0.089
|
| Arginine |
g
|
0.237
|
| Histidine |
g
|
0.047
|
| Alanine |
g
|
0.083
|
| Aspartic acid |
g
|
0.148
|
| Glutamic acid |
g
|
0.356
|
| Glycine |
g
|
0.109
|
| Proline |
g
|
0.073
|
| Serine |
g
|
0.087
|
| Other | ||
| Alcohol, ethyl |
g
|
0.0
|
| Caffeine |
mg
|
0
|
| Theobromine |
mg
|
0
|
| Carotene, beta |
mcg
|
0
|
| Carotene, alpha |
mcg
|
0
|
| Cryptoxanthin, beta |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lycopene |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lutein + zeaxanthin |
mcg
|
0
|
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005)
