Sesame Seed

In Paraguay, the sesame plant is found in most of the tropical, subtropical, and southern temperate areas. Depending on conditions, sesame varieties grow from about 0.5 to 2.5 metres tall, and come in a host of different colours, depending upon the variety, including white, yellow, black and red. Sesame crops survive drought and also presence of excess water, in part due to its extensive root system, however the highest-yielding crops thrive best on well-drained, fertile soils of medium texture and neutral pH.
Typically, the seeds are about 3 to 4 mm long by 2 mm wide and 1 mm thick and need to be harvested as dry as possible and stored at 6% moisture or less. If the seed is too moist, it can quickly heat up and become rancid. After harvesting, the seeds are usually cleaned and hulled. Once the seeds have been hulled, they are passed through an electronic colour-sorting machine that rejects any discolored seeds to ensure perfect colour.