Sesame Seeds (white and mixed)

Scientific Name: Sesamum Indicum

Sesame Seeds are an essential element of the culinary world as an ingredient in bread and the preparation of rich dishes such as Thai food, and to prepare sweets. This seed comes from a plant with the same name and has as characteristic to be a great source of natural oil.

Its origins

The origin is not known with precision, but its cultivation is from remote times in Ethiopia (Africa), and it expanded to India, China, Japan and the Mediterranean countries. At the time of the slavery, the Africans introduced it in the United States, and since then also it is known by the name Benne, which comes from the language of the Mende tribe.

The seed was used by the Indians and Chinese as sesame oil to beautify the skin and as a substitute for olive oil. Currently, its use has expanded worldwide and is cultivated preferentially in warm climates such as India, China, Ecuador, Central America and Mexico. However, the highest quality seeds come from Central America, mainly from Guatemala.

Their different varieties

There are different varieties of sesame, can be divided by their color and their precocity, the most common are white and black or roasted. The first are characterized by their good development and for being demanding in nutrients of the soil, therefore receive a better price and are used for baking and pastry.

The second variety corresponds to seeds mixed with yellow to dark brown, the plant is smaller with lower yields, and it grows on nutrient-poor soils, it is more rustic than the white and is used for the production of oils and flours

VARIETY                    MOISTURE CONTENT       OIL CONTENT                        FFA                            ADMIXTURE

NATURAL SEED           4%             48-50%              1%               1%

BLACK SEED               4-6%           48-50%             1-2%            1-2%

     _{HULLED SEED}                  4%              48-50%               1%                0.002% production

Sesame Seeds are mainly used as cooking oil. Most commercial Sesame Seeds contain 48- 52% oil.

The worldwide market

Sesame seed, within the main oilseeds worldwide, does not represent a significant weight such as soybean, sunflower, and cotton, but does not mean that its production is unnecessary.

Sesame has a high nutritional value, and its oil is of better quality than the rest of oilseeds, so it is more demanded in processes that require longer life for base-prepared oil products. Its world production is concentrated mainly in Africa, India and China.

The African market

Countries such as Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali have notably improved their production and are becoming a viable option to obtain the seeds there. This is because the temperature and soil conditions in these two countries are very well adapted to the seed count.

Both types of seed, the white and the mixed, can be obtained in the three countries. Being the most common white in Ghana and Burkina Faso and mixed in Mali. The seed can be obtained with 98% purity, which fits perfectly in the global parameters of this market.

Strategy

Savannah & Sahel Commodities Limited works to enhance the participation of sesame farmers in the world market. We source sesame directly from our farmers to our cleaning and storage facilities located at the farm gates and we supply the entire world with the high-quality product directly from the farm.