Sesame an oilseed crop with potential in California

Sesame is probably the oldest cultivated oil crop with a wide distribution in the tropical and subtropical regions. It is mentioned in the old Hebrew and Egyptian scripts and the ancient Sanskrit literature. Some of the earliest references to sesame culture were made by the ancient Greek writers Theophrastus (4th century B.C.) and Solon (7th century B.C.). Sesame was introduced into the United States from Africa during the 17th century.