Raw Sesame Seeds in Bulk: The Uncovered Grade

What "raw" means among sesame's four grades

In the sesame trade, "raw" generally describes the seed close to its harvested and cleaned state — unhulled, meaning the outer seed coat is still intact, and untoasted, meaning it hasn't been through any heat treatment. Hulled sesame has had that outer coat mechanically removed, giving a lighter colour and a milder flavour; roasted sesame has been heat-treated for a deeper, toasted note; and golden sesame is a specific hulled variety with a natural tan hue rather than the bright white of standard hulled seed. Raw is the grade furthest from a finished, ready-to-eat topping and closest to an ingredient a buyer processes further themselves.

That makes raw sesame the natural choice for anyone toasting or hulling in-house rather than buying a pre-processed grade, or for uses like tahini milling and other Levantine pantry lines that specifically start from the unhulled seed. Our sesame seeds wholesale guide covers all four grades side by side if you're deciding which one fits your production line rather than assuming raw is always the right starting point.

Where raw sesame is used directly

Not every buyer processes raw sesame further before using it — it's also used directly as a topping on bread, breadsticks and baked goods where a more rustic, unhulled seed suits the product better than a polished hulled one. Our sesame breadsticks wholesale guide covers one of the finished products this grade of sesame ends up topping, if you're sourcing for a bakery rather than a processing line.

Handling raw sesame in a shared kitchen or facility

Because raw sesame is closer to its harvested state than the other three grades, buyers processing it further — toasting or hulling in-house — should treat it with the same allergen-conscious handling as any other form of sesame once it's on-site: separate storage from allergen-free lines where practical, and clear labelling through every stage of in-house processing. That's a general best-practice note rather than a specific regulatory checklist for your facility, and it applies whether the sesame arrives raw, hulled, roasted or golden.

The sesame allergen note

Sesame is a Health Canada priority allergen, which means it carries the same mandatory labelling obligations as any other priority allergen once it's an ingredient in a packaged food — that applies to raw sesame the same as it does to hulled, roasted or golden. Our sesame allergen answer covers what that means for labelling in more detail; treat this as general guidance and confirm your specific labelling obligations with Health Canada or your regulatory adviser rather than relying on this page alone.

Ordering raw sesame by the case

AbdulRahim Mills doesn't publish a fixed bag weight for raw sesame on the listing — case configuration is confirmed on a written quotation once you state your target volume. If your production line uses more than one grade, mention it in your inquiry alongside hulled sesame so everything is quoted and shipped together.