Black sesame seeds have been an essential ingredient in Asian cuisines for centuries and are now gaining popularity in the West, appearing in everything from dramatic-looking lattes to beautiful baked goods. But they offer much more than visual appeal; with a nutritional profile that can help with everything from chronic disease to accelerated aging.
Sesame is one of the world’s most valuable edible oilseed crops, with an oil content of up to 63 percent. Legend suggests that Assyrian gods drank sesame wine before creating the earth. In Chinese medicine, black sesame seeds—known as hei zhi ma—have long been used as a longevity tonic to nourish the liver and kidneys, beautify skin and hair, and support graceful aging.
