green; but when the seed meal is wetted and
heated to increase the yield, more carotenoids
are extracted than chlorophyll. The result is an
oil that looks dark brown in the bottle or bowl
from the combination of orange and green
pigments; but in a thin layer, for example on a
piece of bread dipped into the oil, there are
fewer pigment molecules to absorb light, the
chlorophyll dominates, and the oil becomes
emerald green.
Sesame Seeds Sesame seeds are the seeds of
Sesamum indicum, a plant of the central
African savanna that is now mostly grown in
India, China, Mexico, and the Sudan. Sesame
seeds are small, with 250–300 per gram and
7,500–9,000 per ounce, come in a variety of
colors, from golden to brown, violet, and
black, and are about 50% oil by weight.
They’re usually lightly toasted (250–
300ºF/120–150ºC for 5 minutes) to develop a
nutty flavor, which has some sulfur aromatics