The first comprehensive review of sesame and its close relative, Sesame: the genus Sesamum covers ethnographic data, modern use, linguistic analysis of sesame names from around the world, market size, export and import data, geographical sources, use in the food and cosmetic industries, and much more. The book includes a historical review of the genus Sesamum that reveals its place in present-day traditions and cultivation in Africa and Asia. Expanding coverage from archaeological and anthropological literature from India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, this ethobotanical monograph draws on folk sources, reviews the phytochemistry of Sesamum, and presents extensive references.