BENNE SEED

Benne is the Gullah word for west African sesame. A word with origins in the Wolof and Bambara languages of West Africa spoken in areas such as Senegal, the Gambia, Mali and Mauritania. The Gullah are descendants of those people, brought to the Carolinas to grow rice. Most American encounters with sesame seeds are confined to everything bagels, Big Mac buns and sushi roll garnish, but not many know that benne was brought to the Americas by Africans. Benne remains a staple in Charleston where it is sold as sweet wafers in tourist traps, but our African ancestors and our distant cousins in West Africa have a variety of uses for benne, such as a thickening ingredient in soups and stews. Initially, during colonial times, benne was only grown in the personal gardens of enslaved Africans, providing them with proteins and fats that were missing from the meager rations issued to them. But eventually the slave holders caught on and began growing it en masse for commercial purposes. The benne plants helped to improve the soil and the seeds were used to produce oil. Heirloom benne has a deep, rich nutty flavor that increases when it is toasted, but much of what is grown today is on the milder end because planters prioritize large harvests and profits over cultivating plants with optimal flavor.