Sesame is an increasingly common food allergen. Yes, sesame is classified as a global priority allergen by the World Health Organization. Is sesame a common choking hazard for babies?

Pesticide use on sesame plants appears to be low in areas where pests are not a problem, but in other areas where pests are rampant, pesticides are the go-to management tool to keep the plants alive. ★Tip: If budget and access allow, buy organic sesame to minimize pesticide exposure. In general, consistent, controlled temperatures keep sesame from going rancid and preserve its shelf-life. Store sesame seeds and/or tahini in the refrigerator to preserve freshness. That means you can use the oil for high-heat cooking without it becoming rancid. Aside from the delicious flavor, it has an added superpower in its high smoke-point. Consuming sesame oil is another excellent way to enjoy the benefits of sesame. The nutritional benefits of sesame are most accessible when the tiny seeds are ground into paste or powder, making it easier for the body to absorb. The tiny seeds also offer plenty of fiber and protein and are a good source of calcium, iron, and zinc, which are often low in infant and toddler diets. As one of the most oil-rich seeds available, sesame is also filled with healthy fats like lignans and phytosterols that hold antioxidant, anti-cancerous, and anti-inflammatory powers. Sesame is a powerhouse of nutrients that babies need to thrive, including B vitamins, folate, and important minerals like copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium. Check out how to introduce this ubiquitous food to babies! They are also roasted and pressed to make cooking oil and delicate finishing oil. The tiny seeds are sprinkled on bagels, burger buns, salads, sushi, and all sorts of dishes as a condiment combined with aromatics to make seasonings like gomasio and za’atar blended into pastes like tahini and sauces like mole stirred into soups and stews as a thickener and baked into breads and desserts like halvah, pasteli, and til ke laddu. For example, white sesame seeds taste less nutty than black sesame seeds and less bitter than benne, an heirloom African variety of sesame seeds that enslaved people brought to the United States and grew as a staple food on the Carolina islands.

Sesame cultivation has resulted in many varieties that come in a range of earth-toned colors, from cream to gold to red to brown, each with nuanced flavor. Since ancient times, humans have put the tiny seeds to use as food, medicine, and oil for lamplight in Asia, where historians believe the sesame plant was first cultivated. It also pays homage to the sesame plant’s pod-like fruits, which burst when ripe to reveal an abundance of oil-packed seeds. Open sesame! That magical phrase opens the door to a cave filled with hidden treasure in the book of folktales, One Thousand and One Nights.

My little sesame