The Turkish pantry

Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds make a textured coating for simit and a scattered topping for börek. Check whether the seeds are hulled or unhulled and raw or toasted before comparing products.

Last updated: 17 October 2026

Edible sesame seeds, with hull and roasting state not specified by the ingredient record. Hulled, unhulled and toasted seeds are not nutritionally identical.

Small pale sesame seeds filling a blue-and-white floral ceramic bowl.

Types & forms

Hulled and unhulled seeds

The outer hull affects color and composition. Use the actual package description rather than guessing from a photograph.

Raw and toasted seeds

Already toasted seeds can darken faster in the oven; match the recipe’s starting form.

What to look for when buying

Choose plain sesame seeds, not a salted seed mixture or tahini. Check the hull and roasting information where provided.
Buy a sealed pack and check for a fresh aroma. Sesame is an allergen; read the label for the actual product and other ingredients in the dish.

Prepare & cook

Apply as the simit or börek recipe directs so the seeds stick to the surface. Keep the amount and any toasting step from that recipe.
Watch the topping during baking; a dark seed coating can burn before a pale dough looks finished. Do not add a separate toast step unless needed.

Store it well

Keep sealed in a cool, dry place away from heat and light; follow any refrigeration instruction on the pack.
Use a dry spoon and close promptly. Discard seeds with a rancid smell or signs of moisture or mold.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Tahini

A sesame paste, not a seed coating; it changes both texture and how the surface browns.

Other seeds

Give a different flavor and appearance and may introduce other allergens; use only if the recipe permits the change.

Nutrition

Government reference example: Whole dried sesame seeds, with hulls ^[1]

Per 100 g edible portion
Nutrient	Amount
Energy	573 kcal
Protein	17.7 g
Total fat	49.7 g
Saturated fat	6.96 g
Carbohydrate	23.4 g
Dietary fiber	11.8 g
Total sugars	0.3 g
Sodium	11 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Calcium	975 mg
Iron	14.6 mg
Potassium	468 mg
Vitamin D	0 µg

Per 100 g of the stated reference food. The recipe does not specify the hull or roasting state. This example is whole dried sesame with hulls, not hulled kernels, toasted seeds or tahini; hull removal changes mineral composition. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

Simit uses a generous sesame coating, while the börek recipes use seeds as a topping. Those different roles do not establish a single hull or roasting specification for every sesame product.