芝麻 (zhīma) · sesame (seed)

Measure Word

一粒芝麻 lì

Meanings

1 sesame (seed)

About the ingredient

坚果 Nuts and seeds

Tiny flat seeds, white or black, usually toasted for a nutty taste. White ones are sprinkled over dishes and baked goods and ground into paste and oil; black ones go into sweet soups and rice-ball fillings.

Contains sesame

Used in 27 dishes

黄桥烧饼 Huángqiáo shāobing

Characters

芝

zhī

a type of plant; lingzhi mushroom

麻

ma

hemp; sesame; numb

Examples

HSK 6

这个烧饼上面撒了好多芝麻。

Zhège shāobing shàngmiàn sā le hǎoduō zhīma.

This flatbread has a lot of sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Tips

culture

The idiom 芝麻开门 ('Open Sesame') comes from the Arabian Nights story of Ali Baba. 捡了芝麻丢了西瓜 (picking up sesame seeds but losing the watermelon) means focusing on trivial things while missing what's important.