Open Sesame!

Long ago, when 40 thieves decided to hide their treasure in a cave, the chosen password was "Open Sesame!"

Unfortunately they were rather lax in their security protocols and Ali Baba ran away with all the gold. But a question still hangs in the empty cave, and in my mind - why did they choose the name of a tiny oil seed?

In today's world of international trade, sesame still holds the secret to a treasure trove. Consider this -

• Until recently, India was the biggest exporter of sesame seeds (now Myanmar is top dog)
• Japan still holds the record for the biggest importer in the world.
• Sesame can grow in places where most other crops fail, and yet it has the highest oil-contents of any seed.

The North Indian market is dominated by the white colored sesame while, in in the South, the most commonly available variety is the black one. Ditto for South East Asia and Japan. Why so?

 

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LINKS

* (BS-2No14) - http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/india-s-sesame-seed-output-to-rise-by-126-shefexil-114110200688_1.html

* Sesame on Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame