🇹 Ethiopian · Desserts
🍬 Ethiopian Sesame Honey Candy
ሰሊጥ ማር ቅቤ — Selit Mar Qibe
Ethiopian Sesame Honey Candy — white and black sesame seeds combined, toasted, and caramelised in Ethiopian honey with a touch of cardamom, poured into a slab and broken into irregular pieces. The premium version of sesame brittle — using both seed colours and cardamom for greater complexity.
Sesame honey candy is the refined version of the sesame brittle (ETH174) — using both white and black sesame seeds and adding cardamom to the honey caramel produces a confection of greater visual beauty and flavour depth. Made for celebrations and given as gifts.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy pan, Lined baking sheet or oiled marble surface
- ¾ cup white sesame seeds
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp Ethiopian raw honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Toast both sesame seed varieties together in a dry pan 2—3 minutes until white seeds are golden.
- Add honey, sugar, cardamom, and salt to the pan.
- Stir over medium heat continuously 6—8 minutes until the mixture turns deep amber.
- Test: drop into cold water — it should form a hard ball (hard ball stage, 120°C).
- Quickly pour onto lined sheet.
- Spread as thin as possible with an oiled spatula.
- Cool 15 minutes.
- Break into irregular pieces.
Chef Tips
- The black sesame seeds provide visual contrast and a slightly more bitter, nutty note.
- The cardamom in the hot honey is the Ethiopian signature.
- Work quickly at the pouring stage — this sets faster than sesame brittle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not reaching hard ball stage — sticky.
- Too slow spreading — sets before thin.
The Science
See ETH174 for brittle science. Hard ball stage (120°C) produces a different sugar matrix than hard crack (150°C) — the candy is chewier than brittle but still firm. The two sesame varieties provide different Maillard browning profiles (black sesame being already dark, white sesame browning gold) creating visual interest.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Sesame — very high calcium, zinc, and healthy fats.
- Honey antimicrobial.
- Cardamom digestive.
Cultural Note
Ethiopian sesame honey candy with cardamom is the celebration gift — made in large batches for Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash), for Easter, and for weddings, wrapped in cloth and distributed among guests. Its black-and-white sesame appearance makes it visually distinctive.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Airtight container — 3 weeks.
Reheating: Not applicable.
Serve with: As a celebration sweet, As a gift, With coffee at ceremonies