Benne wafers (also known as benne seed wafers) are thin sesame seed cookies with African origins. They are a traditional Lowcountry food most associated with South Carolina and its city, Charleston.[1]
History
editThe word benne means "sesame", and comes from one of the languages of West Africa. Benne seeds first came to the U.S. via ships carrying enslaved Africans. Enslaved peoples would grow benne plants in their own small gardens on Lowcountry plantations. The plantation owners also grew benne with the intent that its oil could be used as a cheaper alternative to imported olive oil.[1][2][3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b Claiborne, Craig (2007). Craig Claiborne's southern cooking. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-8203-2992-5. OCLC 122715478.
- ^ "Benne Wafers | Charleston Magazine". CHARLESTON SC |. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ Byrn, Anne (August 21, 2018). American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations: A Baking Book. Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 9781623365462.
- ^ Wong, Cecily; Thuras, Dylan (October 12, 2021). Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 9781523502196.
External links
edit- Benne Wafers recipe - Southern Living
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