Sesame seeds

One US cup of sesame seeds weighs 144 grams. Going the other way, 100 grams is about 0.69 cups.

Sesame seeds are among the oldest cultivated seeds — evidence of domestication in the Indian subcontinent dates back at least five thousand years — and one of the most widely used seeds in world cuisine. Middle Eastern, North African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and West African cooking all rely on sesame as a base ingredient rather than a garnish, and its behaviour in the kitchen is consistent enough that measurement is straightforward.

USDA FoodData Central publishes 1 cup of whole dried sesame seeds at 144 grams (FDC 170150, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried), giving a bulk density of 0.6087 grams per millilitre. King Arthur's ingredient weight chart publishes 1/2 cup at 71 grams, which extrapolates to 142 grams per cup and 0.6002 grams per millilitre. The two figures agree within 1.4 percent, well inside the 10 percent tolerance we apply to the milled category. Precise agreement is unusual on this site and reflects the very consistent packing behaviour of small, uniform seeds.

The seeds are sold in three common forms that measure slightly differently. Whole hulled or unhulled seeds (this entry) at 144 grams per cup. Toasted sesame seeds are almost identical in weight, since toasting drives off only a small amount of moisture. Black sesame seeds (unhulled seeds with the dark seed coat intact) weigh very close to hulled white sesame per cup because the hull is thin and light; the visible difference is colour and slightly different flavour, not density.

Tahini, sesame paste made from ground toasted seeds, is a completely different product covered by its own entry — approximately 250 grams per cup because the grinding removes all internal air. Sesame oil is pressed from the seeds and is a pure oil at approximately 218 grams per cup, similar density to other vegetable oils.

Culinary uses vary by region. In Middle Eastern cooking sesame appears as tahini in hummus, baba ghanoush, halva and salad dressings; in Japanese and Korean cooking as toasted whole seeds in gomashio, on rice, and in Korean gyeranmari; in Indian cooking as til laddoo (jaggery-and-sesame sweets) and in til-based savouries; in Chinese cooking as sesame paste in noodles and dumpling fillings, and as whole seeds in bread coatings for sesame balls; in West African cooking as benne seed candy in the Carolinas. American usage centres on bagel and hamburger bun toppings, tahini as a condiment, and toasted sesame oil as a finishing flavour.

Sesame allergy is significant enough that FDA added sesame to the mandatory allergen labelling list under the FASTER Act, effective January 2023. Recipes and packages sold in the United States must now clearly declare sesame in the ingredient list or a 'contains' statement. This is a change from earlier practice where sesame was not required on the allergen panel.

Related products this entry does not cover: sesame kernels or decorticated sesame (hull removed, slightly denser at about 148 grams per cup because the hull contributed to bulk), sesame paste as in Chinese cooking (thinner than tahini, roasted flavour, similar density), and gomashio (Japanese sesame salt, sesame seeds mixed with salt, weighs slightly more per cup than plain sesame).

FDA does not publish an identity standard specific to sesame seeds. Codex Alimentarius standard CXS 152-1985 covers wheat flour and does not apply. There is no specific Codex standard for sesame seeds as a whole. Neither publishes a bulk density.

The category here is 'milled' because sesame seeds pack similarly to milled powders in a measuring cup — small enough to conform to the container shape, and their bulk density depends slightly on scoop method. The 10 percent tolerance applies. Both sources sit well inside it.