30 April, 2025 – We interviewed Rossella from Gambuzza, one of the few producers of Ispica Sesame, a rare sesame cultivar that is protected by the Slow Food Presidium. Sesame absolute is the magic ingredient in our Narici N°1 perfume, and it is also the first single-origin ingredient created exclusively for our fragrances.

⁠What is the story of Ispica Sesame?

The story of Ispica Sesame is ancient and fascinating. It arrived in Sicily during the Arab rule and found ideal conditions here to thrive: the climate, the soil, and agricultural tradition welcomed and shaped it, giving life to a native variety that is unique in the world. For years, it has been an integral part of the local food culture — think of sesame bread or Giuggiulena, the traditional nougat made with this seed.

With the arrival of imported sesame, the product risked disappearing. However, thanks to the initiative of some local farmers, who resumed its cultivation, and to Slow Food which gave decisive support, we’re now witnessing a true revival. We are proud to carry on a family tradition that dates back three generations. I still remember my grandmother cleaning it seed by seed to prepare the festive nougat.

⁠Why is this sesame so special?

It’s truly a different kind of seed: it has a naturally dark amber colour, an unmistakable aroma and flavour. It seems toasted, but it’s not. Its shape is rounder, and it’s crunchier than other varieties. Its unique aroma also comes from the “natural toasting” that happens in the open field, under the Sicilian sun.

⁠Is your cultivation organic?

Yes, it’s 100% organic. We don’t use pesticides and we practice crop rotation. Everything is done by hand: from sowing to harvesting. The plants are harvested with sickles, then tied into small bundles and then into sheaves, which are left to dry for about two weeks. After drying, the plants are threshed one by one, and the seeds cleaned with sieves. This process ensures that only the best seeds remain: impurities, soil, and smaller seeds are removed.

Obtaining one kilo of product is very difficult. Some is naturally lost because seeds fall to the wind or are taken by birds. Another part is lost during cleaning, but this is necessary to obtain a product ready for consumption with outstanding quality.

The cultivation is seasonal. Sowing takes place between April and May, harvesting between September and October. During flowering, weeds are removed by hand because the plant is very delicate. In winter, the soil rests and crop rotation is always respected.

⁠What is your family’s story with sesame?

We’re now in our third generation. It was my grandfather’s brother who preserved the original seed over the years, growing it in small quantities. In 2018, thanks to the momentum from Slow Food, my brothers Simone and Salvatore and I decided to seriously commit to this production. We expanded the cultivation and began transforming the sesame into products like gomasio, oil, and tahini paste.

Last year, in June, we opened a small shop with an attached workshop to manage the entire supply chain: from cultivation to final product transformation. We produce everything with traditional, ancient, manual techniques, but use cutting-edge machinery for processing. We combine tradition and innovation.

⁠What does Slow Food mean to you?

Slow Food means value, community, and the sharing of a philosophy. We’re part of the “Gghjugghjulena” Association here in Ispica, from which our interest in Slow Food was born and which started the journey that led to the creation of the Presidium. This brought attention to our production and gave us new strength to carry the project forward.
Being part of the Presidium also means taking responsibility: that of keeping this cultivation alive. At the beginning, there were many companies cultivating sesame. Now, we can count them on one hand. The cultivation is complex, as is its marketing, but the specification we developed ensures quality, traceability, and respect for traditional techniques.

⁠Do you have a curious anecdote to share?

There are so many! One I always love to tell is about the famous phrase “Open Sesame.” It’s no coincidence: sesame pods open suddenly, almost magically, releasing the seeds like a small treasure. An image that truly recalls the fairy tale’s cave. And in fact, these seeds are a treasure, rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Another fun episode is about the birth of our small cosmetics line. After a day spent handling sesame plants, my brother noticed that the skin on his hands was surprisingly smooth. That sparked curiosity about the properties of sesame oil, which is very rich in vitamin E. That’s how the idea for our body oil was born, made precisely from sesame oil.

⁠Perfumer’s Notes:

Sesame absolute is not an ingredient easily available to independent perfumers. Before extraction, Ispica Sesame seeds are toasted to a precise duration to trigger a Maillard reaction, enhancing the profile with a nutty, crunchy aroma. The result is irresistible: a completely vegan animalic note, almost feral and primordial. To our surprise and delight, it also has hints of popcorn. This is the signature note of Narici N°1.