Many Asian cuisines benefit from the nutty flavour and subtle, nearly imperceptible crunch of sesame seeds. They are also the primary components of halvah, a delicious Middle Eastern dessert, and tahini, a sesame seed paste. They are accessible all year long. Sesame seeds are a great source of manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, molybdenum, selenium, and dietary fibre. They are also a very good source of copper. Sesame seeds also include sesamin and sesamolin, two distinct compounds, in addition to these vital minerals. Both of these chemicals have been demonstrated to decrease cholesterol in people and are members of a class of unique beneficial fibres known as lignans.
