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Sesame Seeds

Since Israelis love tehina so much, I always assumed that the sesame seeds it’s made from were grown in Israel. Although in ancient times sesame seeds were a major crop in the Middle East, this is no longer true. The majority of sesame seeds that make the rich and nutty tehina we love are now imported. The best come from Ethiopia, where the far-reaching fields of sesame plants thrive. There the plants are given the altitude, rainfall, and sunshine they require. The plants bear many lobed seed pods that split when ripe, revealing their miraculous tiny seeds.

Sesame seeds come in white and black; the white seeds are used to make tehina, the black are most often sprinkled over savory dishes. Of course the tehina made from sesame seeds is foundational to my cooking, but I depend on the seeds themselves to finish a savory dish, or scatter over borekas (see photo), and challah (see recipe) before baking. Think of these plants growing in these fields the next time you bite into a sesame bagel and brush off the seeds that fall into your lap!