# Open Sesame Seeds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 10, 2000, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842 "2000-12-10T02:28:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842/1 "2000-12-10T02:28:10Z")

</div>

Why are sesame seeds on buns? They don’t seem to have any taste, and they fall off fairly easily.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842/2 "2000-12-10T03:26:58Z")

</div>

They do have flavor. It’s just that the ones you eat on grocery store buns or at Mickey D’s are old, stale, and pale sesame seeds.

Try Tahini (sesame paste) some time. It’s very rich and flavorful.

You might also try Chinese sesame oil. **Very** flavorful stuff. Don’t use it for cooking, just for flavoring.

It’s analogous to beer. If all you drink is Bud you’ll think beer has no flavor.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842/3 "2000-12-10T04:11:11Z")

</div>

Sesame has a very strong flavor to it, but the seeds go stale relatively quickly if not properly stored. Sesame oil is **very** strongly flavored (use sparingly).

Sesame chicken is delicious. Try it sometime.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/open-sesame-seeds/44842/4 "2000-12-10T04:47:36Z")

</div>

When I bake bread, I often add about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to the dough (½ tablespoon per cup of flour). It gives the bread a rich, nutty flavor.

Mmmmm. I think I’ll go make some toast now.

~~Baloo