For another “black sesame” crop plant of western and central Africa see Sesamum radiatum. Numerous wild relatives sesame seared tuna in Africa and a smaller number in India. Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3,000 years ago. Sesamum has many other species, most being wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa.

The word “benne” was first recorded to be used in English in 1769 and comes from Gullah benne which itself derives from Malinke bĕne. Sesame seed is considered to be the oldest oilseed crop known to humanity. The genus has many species, and most are wild. Most wild species of the genus Sesamum are native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Archaeological remnants of charred sesame dating to about 3500-3050 BCE suggest sesame was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent at least 5500 years ago. It has been claimed that trading of sesame between Mesopotamia and the Indian subcontinent occurred by 2000 BC. Some reports claim sesame was cultivated in Egypt during the Ptolemaic period, while others suggest the New Kingdom. Historically, sesame was favored for its ability to grow in areas that do not support the growth of other crops. It is also a robust crop that needs little farming support—it grows in drought conditions, in high heat, with residual moisture in soil after monsoons are gone or even when rains fail or when rains are excessive. It was a crop that could be grown by subsistence farmers at the edge of deserts, where no other crops grow.

Sesame has been called a survivor crop. The flowers may vary in colour, with some being white, blue, or purple. Sesame seeds occur in many colours depending on the cultivar. The most traded variety of sesame is off-white coloured.