ゴマは干ばつに強く、「逞しく生きる」という花言葉もあります。花は筒状の唇形で先端が５裂。下から順に咲き、円柱状の果実を結びます。
Sesame is drought-resistant and has the flower language of “living vigorously”. The flowers are tubular and lip-shaped, and the tip is split into five. They bloom from the bottom up and bear a cylindrical fruit.
【仮名】ゴマ
【和名】胡麻
【英名】Sesame
【学名】Sesamum indicum
【誕生】07/ ??
【開花】07, 08, 09月
【花色】White, Pink, Purple
ゴマ
ゴマの来歴
ゴマはゴマ科の１年草。原産地はアフリカ中部のサバンナ地帯で、紀元前3500年頃にはエジプトやインドで食用、薬用に栽培されました。日本へは中国経由で縄文時代に伝わり、奈良時代に油料、平安時代に菓子などに利用。干ばつに強く、「逞しく生きる」という花言葉もあります。
ゴマの名前
ゴマの名前の由来は漢名の「胡麻」が和名になり、その音読みによるものです。漢名の由来は中国の西方にあった国「胡」から伝わり、種子が油脂に富む植物「麻」に似ていたから。ラテン語の属名セサムは植物名の「ごま」、種名インディカムは当時の栽培地「インド」のことです。
ゴマの姿形
ゴマの茎は断面が四角形で深い溝があり、軟毛が密生。葉は基本的に対生で柄が長く、先端の尖った長楕円形ですが、上位で互生し、下位で切れ込みが入ります。花は筒状の唇形で先端が５裂。下から順に咲き、花後は円柱状の果実を結びます。熟すと頂部が開いて種子の胡麻を拡散。
ゴマの種類
ゴマには種皮が黒色の「黒胡麻」、白色の「白胡麻」、淡黄色の「金胡麻」があります。おもにアジアで黒胡麻と白胡麻、欧米で白胡麻、トルコで金胡麻が流通。一般に黒胡麻は香りが強く、白胡麻は甘味があり、金胡麻は味が濃いとされますが、栄養価はほとんど違いがありません。
ゴマの利用
ゴマは芳香があり、栄養価に富むものの種皮が固いので、炒ったり、切ったり、捻ったり、擂り潰して利用されます。油脂類、タンパク質、食物繊維、ビタミン類、ミネラル類のほか、抗酸化作用のあるセサミンを含有。漢方では種子が生薬「胡麻子」として滋養強壮に用いられます。
Sesame
Origin of Sesame
Sesame is an annual plant belonging to the Pedaliaceae family. Originating in the savannah zone of central Africa, it was cultivated for food and medicine in Egypt and India around 3500 BC. They were introduced to Japan via China in the Jomon period, used as an oil in the Nara period, and used in sweets in the Heian period. They are drought-resistant, and have the flower language of “living vigorously.”
Name of Sesame
The origin of the Japanese name of Sesame comes from the Chinese name “Hu hemp” . The origin of the Chinese name comes from the country “Hu” to the west of China, and the seeds resembled the oil-rich plant “hemp”. The Latin genus name Sesamum means the botanical name “sesame”, and the species name “indicum” means the place of cultivation at the time “India”.
Shape of Sesame
The Sesame stem has a square cross-section with deep grooves and dense pubescence. The leaves are basically opposite, long-stalked, and oblong-elliptical with pointed tips, but they are alternate in the upper part and notched in the lower part. The flowers are tubular and lip-shaped, and the tip is split into five. They bloom in order from the bottom, and after flowering, produce cylindrical fruits. When ripe, the top opens to spread the sesame seeds.
Type of Sesame
There are three types of Sesame seeds: black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, and golden sesame seeds. Black sesame and white sesame are distributed in Asia, white sesame in Europe and the United States, and golden sesame in Turkey. In general, black sesame has a strong aroma, white sesame has a sweet taste, and golden sesame has a strong taste, but there is almost no difference in nutritional value.
Use of Sesame
Sesame seeds are fragrant and highly nutritious, but their seed coats are hard, so they are used by roasting, cutting, twisting, and mashing. In addition to oils and fats, protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, they also contain sesamin, which has an antioxidant effect. In Chinese medicine, the seeds are used as a herbal medicine “sesame seed” for nourishment and tonicity.
