Sesame oil production in Hadramout [Archives:2008/1220/Last Page]
Curtsy of hadramout.info
In most Arab countries since civilization began, sesame oil has been the preferred cooking oil for its enticing smell and flavor. The use of pure sesame oil in all kinds of food, including salads and beans, dates back to over 4000 years in most Arab countries, according to some resources.
In Yemen, particularly in Hadramout, there are many mills that produce sesame oil or jiljel, as it is called in Hadramout. In the past, this oil was extracted in mills powered by animals, notably the camel. Today the tradition only persists in some areas of Wadi Hadramout and in Sana'a's old city.
In traditional animal mills, a zeer, a container for the sesame seeds, and a qutb, a stick made from the wood of Seder trees were used to produce the sesame oil. The camel walked around the mill to rotate the stick inside the container in order to produce the sesame oil. The slower the movement of the camel, the better the quality of the oil. Today more recent sesame-oil-producing tools strive to imitate this slow classical technique to guarantee the same result.
Sesame seeds are milled cold after they are refined. Sometimes they are roasted to produce a more flavorsome oil. The milling process begins by pouring a small quantity of sesame seeds into the zeer. Other small quantities of sesame seeds are added into the container. After around 15 minutes, the first lot of sesame oil is ready and the miller gradually adds sesame seeds to the container to continue production. When the container becomes full of crushed sesame seeds, the milling process continues for some time so that a maximum of oil is produced, and then the miller gradually pours out his produce. Remnants of sesame seeds, called in al-tekh in Hadramout are used as fodder for camels.
Sesame seeds come in a variety of colors – white, red and black- and the oil they produce changes according them. In Hadramout, the most prevalent kind of sesame seed is the black sesame seed.
It was largely grown in Hadramout in the past, but nowadays it is not a lucrative business – a 45-kilo sack of sesame seeds is only worth YR 10,000- and its cultivation has largely fallen into decline. Today, sesame seeds are mostly imported from Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Africa.
Sesame oil has a long shelf life and compared to other kinds of oil, and is a good source of vitamins E and B, as well as magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc. In addition to being used in cooking, sesame oil is a popular medicine for many health problems. It is used equally to massage the body and as a hair tonic. Used in cooking, it reputedly helps to low high blood pressure. Some also claim that sesame oil has anti-oxidant and anti-depressant properties.
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