SKU: 72606122083
benne seeds for planting

benne seeds for planting Benne (Sesame) – UJAMAA SEEDS

Sale price$18.86 Regular price$20.96
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 11 - Jul 16

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

benne seeds for planting Benne (Sesame) – UJAMAA SEEDSSesamum indicum Seeds per packet ~ 125 Germination: 94% Oct 2025, Packed for 2026 Origins and History Benne, also known as sesame (Sesamum indicum), is one of the worlds oldest oilseed crops, with domestication traced back over 3,000 years to Africa and India. Believed to have originated in India, and domesticated in Africa since at least the time of the Pharaohs. Even today, the east African nation of Sudan produces the largest crop of sesame seeds.

Sesamum indicum

Seeds per packet ~ 125

Germination: 94%  Oct 2025, Packed for 2026

Origins and History

Benne, also known as sesame (Sesamum indicum), is one of the world’s oldest oilseed crops, with domestication traced back over 3,000 years to Africa and India.  Believed to have originated in India, and domesticated in Africa since at least the time of the Pharaohs. Even today, the east African nation of Sudan produces the largest crop of sesame seeds. It traveled across trade routes into the Middle East and Asia, where it became an integral part of food and culture.

In the Americas, benne was brought through the transatlantic slave trade, particularly to the Carolinas, where African-descended people cultivated it and preserved traditional uses. Today, heirloom benne is celebrated as a culturally meaningful seed, especially in African American foodways and Southern heritage cuisine. The term "benne," comes from the Gullah-Geechee people (descendants of formerly enslaved people who developed a unique culture living in relative isolation on the Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina.

Appearance and Characteristics

The benne plant is an upright annual reaching 2–4 feet tall, with lance-shaped green leaves and delicate tubular flowers that can be white to pale pink. After pollination, the plant produces slender, oblong pods filled with small, flat seeds that can range in color from ivory to tan, brown, or black. Seeds are highly aromatic, with heirloom benne often noted for its richer, more complex flavor compared to modern sesame.

Culinary Uses

Benne seeds are prized for their nutty taste and versatility. They can be eaten raw, toasted, or pressed for oil. In African American traditions, heirloom benne is used in breads, stews, rice dishes, and notably in “benne wafers,” a signature sweet of the Lowcountry. The seeds also enrich sauces, garnish vegetables, and add protein and depth to both savory and sweet dishes. Unlike some modern sesame, heirloom benne retains its bold aroma and flavor after cooking. Sesame benne seeds are a common ingredient in Southern cuisine, especially in dishes from the Lowcountry region. They are often toasted to enhance their flavor and used in a variety of recipes, such as: cookies, rice, grits, salads, and seasoning.

Growing Tips

Benne thrives in warm climates and performs well in USDA Zones 7–11, though it can be grown as a summer annual in cooler regions. Sow seeds directly into well-drained soil after danger of frost, at a depth of about ¼ inch, spacing plants 6–12 inches apart. The crop prefers full sun and tolerates drought once established, though consistent moisture during early growth ensures strong stands. It grows best in sandy or loamy soils with good drainage, making it suitable for many Southern gardens.

Harvesting Guidance

Benne is typically ready to harvest 90–120 days after sowing. As the pods mature, they dry and split open, releasing seeds—a process called “shattering.” To prevent loss, harvest just before pods fully split, cutting stems and allowing them to dry upside down in bundles over a cloth to catch the falling seeds. Once dry, seeds can be shaken or threshed free, cleaned, and stored in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. Properly stored, heirloom benne seeds retain their flavor and viability for several years.

 

Botanical Origins of Sesamun indicum

Sesamum indicum, commonly known as sesame, is one of the world’s oldest oilseed crops, belonging to the family Pedaliaceae. Its wild relatives are distributed primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Indian subcontinent. The most probable center of origin is thought to be Africa, where several wild Sesamum species still grow, particularly in Ethiopia. However, genetic and archaeological evidence also points to an early secondary center of domestication in the Indian subcontinent, where the species has been cultivated for millennia. The crop’s drought tolerance and adaptability to marginal soils contributed to its early success as a dependable source of edible oil.

History of Domestication

Domestication of Sesamum indicum likely occurred over 3,000 years ago. Archaeological remains from the Indus Valley Civilization (around 2500–2000 BCE) suggest sesame was already under cultivation in ancient India, where it may have been domesticated from the wild species S. mulayanum. In ancient Mesopotamia, sesame oil was valued both for cooking and for ritual uses, indicating its early trade and cultural significance. The plant’s small seeds, high oil content (up to 60%), and relatively easy extraction process made it a vital early oilseed crop. Selective cultivation favored non-shattering seed pods, increased seed size, and improved oil quality.

Spread and Diversification

From its centers of domestication, sesame spread widely through early trade routes. It reached China by at least 2000 BCE, where it was used in traditional medicine and culinary preparations. Ancient Egyptian records also reference sesame as a food and medicinal oil, and the Greeks and Romans later adopted it into their diets. Over centuries, Sesamum indicum diversified into numerous landraces and varieties adapted to local climates—ranging from black and brown to white-seeded forms—each associated with distinct cultural and culinary uses. Today, sesame is cultivated in more than 70 countries, with major production centers in India, China, Sudan, Myanmar, and Nigeria. Its genetic diversity reflects centuries of human selection for flavor, seed color, oil content, and adaptability, making it both an ancient and continually evolving crop of global significance.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 72606122083

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell benne seeds for planting

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.2 ★★★★★
Based on 1501 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
S
Verified Purchase
Susan M. Steege
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Delicious Theology
Format: Hardcover
I VERY often struggle with this thing: I know that Christianity does not make sense to many people in this day and culture and I would love to help with that. AT THE SAME TIME, it makes perfect, intuitive sense to me. I know in my bones that Jesus is real, that He loves me and that I am giddy at the prospect of following Him. What this means is that I don't know how to explain that to someone for whom Christianity is a mystery--or worse, an empty ritualized religion. That's why I couldn't wait to read "Simply Christian". NT Wright tells the reader in his introduction what he was hoping to accomplish in this book: My aim has been to describe what Christianity is all about, both to commend it to those outside the faith and to explain it to those inside. I loved this book. The theology in it was so delectable. It presents truth in a way that makes me want to read sections of it over and over again. Wright paints a picture for the reader of the "echoes" of God that are all around us, especially these four: * Justice * Spirituality * Relationships * Beauty Wright makes a case that EVERY human being longs for these four things (I agree-do you?) and that that very fact proves the existence of the one true God portrayed in the Bible, made flesh in Jesus Christ. He does a masterful job of describing the salvation history of the Bible in a chapter or two. I found His take on prayer and worship to be beautiful as well. Wright covers the "basics" of the Christian faith in a way that beckons the reader to engage, rather than lecturing the reader who isn't. I took many notes that will be useful in teaching Bible studies in the future. Of course, in me, Wright had a reader who was already on board. My posture was one of cheerleader--with every lovely truth I was saying "AMEN, brother PREACH IT" and turning the words over on my tongue and in my heart like they were a gourmet meal. I would love to have a skeptic read this--someone who really isn't so sure about Christianity and get their take on it. If you are reading this and you fall into this category, I would purchase the book for you so I could hear what you think. Leave me a comment below... Wright's closing words are written in my journal and pondered regularly. Maybe you will like them, too: Christian holiness is not (as people often imagine) a matter of denying something good. It is about growing up and grasping something even better. Made for spirituality, we wallow in introspection. Made for joy, we settle for pleasure. Made for justice, we clamor for vengeance. Made for relationship, we insist on our own way. Made for beauty, we are satisfied with sentiment. But new creation has already begun. The sun has begun to rise. Christians are called to leave behind, the the tomb of Jesus Christ, all that belongs to the brokenness and incompleteness of the present world. It is time, in the power of the Spirit, to take up our proper role, our fully human role, as agents, heralds and stewards of the new day that is dawning. That, quite simply is what it means to be Christian: to follow Jesus Christ into the new world, which he has thrown open before us.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2010
J
Verified Purchase
Jason G
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 4
An explanation for a post modern culture
An extension of Wright's book could be "why Christianity makes sense to post modern people". This is a fine book, for what it tries to do, which is to clearly explain what Christianity is about. It is not necessarily designed to persuade anyone, other than to show that what the basic Christian story is about is reasonable and worth taking a look in. Wright, the Anglican Bishop of Durham, and one of the more renowned and accessible to the public, theologians of our day is at times controversial, but never a poor writer, even to the most untrained ear for the nuances of theology. From the very first paragraph of the book, the reader is alerted that this is a different sort of explanation of the Christian faith, for Wright talks of how people might understand the meaning, but miss the experience of what the yearning for the faith is all about. He talks of justice, beauty, and relationship and how the reality of what we hope for is often far from present, what he calls the "echo of the voice", something that we think that should be there, but is not there at all, and begs the question why. This book will not help but to be compared to C S Lewis classic work, Mere Christianity. And there are enough similarities between the two, that make the differences jarring enough. Lewis' is more of a classic apologetic. He speaks of universal laws, the differences between longstanding morality and modern pyschology, and the logic of why the Christian Gospel, of the invaision of humanity by the God/man Jesus and how theology is constantly practical in every area of the individual, personal lives of moder people. Written in the 1940's, Mere Christianity answers quite well the challenges of its, and still to a large extent, our age. What Wright is trying to do with "Simply Christian" is to take the same old story and apply to the common questions of our era, from a different perspective. Loneliness, rejection of an older era, cynicism at the structures designed to meet the challenges of day to day life, like the family, the church, and the state are real actions obviously taken by many today. So for Wright, to begin his work, not by explaining who God is and why man needs him, but instead to point out and agree that there are many things missing and empty in the solutions that post modern people have used for solutions to their concerns about why older systems failed, the older systems that Lewis attempted to answer to in a very reasonable way in Mere Christianity. Wright does spend a lot more time on how communal activities and experiences are far more vital to the simply Christian life than is realized, and why vital relationships, as expressed in the church, seen as a real community, are the engine for linking understanding and experience. Wright's three common expressions of the Christian life: worship, prayer and Bible study only have their fullest expression when done in community with others, so as to grow as a living, breathing organism might. In so doing, Wright is bridging the gap between the credibility of the Christian message, with those who are disaffected and disbelieving, not at necessarily the propositions in the gospel, but at how the whole system around contemporary life has been disapointing to many. Developing a theology of the person and work of Jesus has been the hallmark of Wright's career as a pastor and theologian, and it is in writing about who Jesus is and what he has done that this work finds its greatest strength, and to some degree its greatest weakness. He has written how Jesus was the final victory of God, the great exodus of his people and the culmination of a great military campaign to bring justice and the arrival of the kingdom of God on earth. Stupendous claims, as they always are, when fully understood, even more so when contrasted with the paradoxes of the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth, with the expectations of the Jewish people of first century Palestine. By so doing, Wright encourages the post modern audience to look again at the reality of real history, and the undeniable facts as told, which led to radical conclusions by those who first lived them. It is here that Wright is at his weakest, for he doesn't make the leap between the person and work of Jesus and that connection of justification from sin for today's believer as a direct, actionable item. Not that he denies it, but the connection is just not made at all. Even Lewis spends a great deal of Mere Christianity discussing sin and the necesity of events long ago affecting today's actions. Nevertheless, this is an important work that should be read by many, especially in the post industrial world. Wright's pastoral call to look to Christ, living out in the community of believers to answer the deep longings and disapointments of the human experience is freshly written and worth considering.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2008
G
Verified Purchase
Guapx
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Compulsory reading for any follower of Jesus.
Format: Kindle
This book is for Christians, agnostics and atheists. The journey from shadows to light is presented as a provocative, compelling invitation for all.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2026
T
Verified Purchase
TX Kindle Customer
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Simple AND essential, everyone should read
Format: Kindle
I've been Christian for many years, reading many books, sermons, biblical readings, but we never stop having more beautiful insights of this glorious Christian path laid before our minds and hearts. This book is a wise, beautiful, encouraging, and simply amazing way to see and live out the Christian life and calling, rich with meaning in our current broken world and the redeemed and restored world in Christ. Are you yearning for real spirituality, joy, justice, beauty, relationships, but they seem somehow out of reach? Read this book. It is simple yet profound. Take the time to savor the words of this book alongside prayer, biblical reading, community, daily work...And partake in the overlap of heaven and earth with the Lord.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2026
M
Verified Purchase
Montana Angela
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing Book with great insights
Format: Paperback
This book is a great for those looking for a deeper understanding of Christianity. It covers all the basic areas and questions with insight and consideration of other points of views.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2025

recommand products