What is the name of the traditional South Carolina sesame seed cookie?

The traditional South Carolina sesame seed cookie is called a benne wafer. These thin, crisp cookies are especially associated with the Lowcountry and Charleston, where they remain a distinctive part of the region’s food heritage.

The word “benne” means sesame and comes from a West African language. Sesame seeds arrived in the Americas through the forced migration of enslaved Africans, who cultivated benne plants in kitchen gardens on Lowcountry plantations. Plantation owners also valued the plant because its oil could substitute for imported olive oil.

Benne wafers usually combine toasted sesame seeds with ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, and flavorings. Their thin shape and brittle texture distinguish them from softer Southern cookies, including pecan sandies and shortbread. The sesame seeds provide a nutty flavor that becomes more pronounced when toasted.

Although modern recipes vary, the name “benne wafer” identifies the traditional Charleston-area cookie. Praline cookies and pecan sandies belong to different Southern confectionery traditions, while shortbread is a broader style rather than this specific South Carolina specialty. The stored answer is the canonical one.