Sesame Milk
RareLimited household, research, and commercial production
A seed-based plant beverage produced by processing sesame seeds with water. Preparation methods can include soaking, blanching, grinding, filtration, and sometimes roasting.
About Sesame Milk
Sesame milk is a plant-based beverage made from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum), one of humanity's oldest cultivated oilseeds. Sesame has been grown and used as a food and oil crop for at least 3,500–5,000 years, with evidence of cultivation found at Harappan sites in the Indus Valley (present-day Pakistan and northwest India), as well as in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Today, sesame seeds and sesame oil are fundamental ingredients in cuisines across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean world.
Sesame milk is produced by soaking raw sesame seeds in water, blending with fresh water, and straining through a fine cloth or nut milk bag. The resulting milk is thin, slightly translucent, and pale white or cream in colour with a mild, nutty, slightly earthy sesame flavour. Both white (hulled) sesame seeds and black sesame seeds can be used — black sesame milk has a more intense flavour and a distinctive grey-purple colour. In parts of East Asia, particularly China and Japan, black sesame paste and drinks are a traditional food with a long history, believed in some traditional medicine systems to support hair and kidney health.
Sesame seeds are nutritionally dense — they are high in fat (approximately 50%), with unsaturated fats dominant (mainly oleic and linoleic acids). Unhulled sesame seeds are notable for their calcium content: 100g contains approximately 975 mg of calcium — among the highest of any plant food by weight. However, hulled sesame seeds (more commonly used in milk production) contain significantly less calcium (~60mg/100g), and straining removes most of the solid seed material where calcium is concentrated. Sesame milk is therefore not reliably a high-calcium beverage unless commercially fortified. Sesame seeds also contain lignans (sesamin and sesamolin), compounds with antioxidant properties.
Sources & Further Reading
- USDA FoodData Central — Sesame Seeds (current search) — Current USDA database search for the named food; select the matching product/data type because formulations and database records can change.
Nutrition
Sesame milk nutritional content varies by preparation and type of seeds (hulled vs. unhulled). Sesame seeds are high in fat and calcium:
FatHigh (oleic, linoleic)
CalciumVery high in unhulled seeds
ProteinModerate
LignansPresent (sesamin, sesamolin)
LactoseNone
Allergen noteSesame is a top allergen in some countries
Unhulled sesame seeds contain substantially more calcium than hulled seeds, but seed composition is not the same as the calcium content of a strained sesame drink. Sesame milk made from unhulled seeds may provide meaningful calcium. Sesame is a top food allergen — classified as a major allergen in the United States (from January 2023), Canada, and Australia, and should be clearly labelled.
Common Uses
◌ Drinking◌ Smoothies◌ Black sesame drinks (East Asia)◌ Baking◌ Sauces & dressings
Sesame milk can be used in smoothies, baking, and cooking. Its nutty flavour pairs well with tahini-based sauces and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. Black sesame milk is a traditional beverage in China, Japan, and Korea — consumed warm or cold, often sweetened, as a nutritional tonic. In Japan, black sesame milk is sold commercially and used in desserts. Sesame milk can substitute for other nut milks in most applications where a slightly stronger nutty flavour is acceptable.
Interesting Facts
- "Open sesame!" — the magic phrase from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves in One Thousand and One Nights — is believed to reference the way ripe sesame seed pods split open suddenly when touched, scattering their seeds.
- Sesame is one of the oldest cultivated oilseeds, with evidence of use dating back at least 5,000 years in the Indus Valley civilisation of present-day Pakistan.
- Unhulled sesame seeds contain approximately 975 mg of calcium per 100g — more than three times the calcium content of whole cow milk per 100g — though bioavailability is reduced by oxalate content, and hulled seeds (more common in milk production) contain far less. Straining also removes most seed solids, so sesame milk is not reliably high in calcium unless the seeds are unhulled, minimally strained, or the product is fortified.
- Sesame was added to the list of major food allergens in the United States in January 2023 under the FASTER Act (Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act), making it the ninth declared major allergen alongside milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy.
- Tanzania and Sudan are the world's largest producers of sesame seeds, with significant production also in Myanmar, India, and Ethiopia.