Benne

/ˈbɛneɪ/ noun

Definition

Another name for sesame or sesame seeds, particularly used in African American cuisine and Southern American cooking; also called beniseed.

Etymology

From Gullah/West African languages (possibly Bantu origin), brought to the American South through the slave trade. Gullah preserved African plant names when English didn't.

Kelly Says

Benne is a word that's almost a historical document—it survived in Gullah, the creole language of enslaved Africans in the Low Country, preserving knowledge about sesame that African people brought with them and cultivated in America.

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