This Vintage South Carolina Treat Is One Of The Oldest Cookies In America

If there's one thing South Carolina's Lowcountry is known for, it's the abundance of comforting, mouthwateringly delicious cuisine. Not only does South Carolina have some of the best biscuits in the Southern U.S., it's also famous for its incredible seafood offerings, like the ones at this must-try seafood restaurant. Within the Palmetto State's vibrant food scene, you'll also find one of America's oldest cookies. Benne wafers originated in the Lowcountry centuries ago. 

Benne wafers are small, flat cookies speckled with sesame seeds. These simple cookies may seem like a humble underdog of a dessert, but you should definitely try one if you find yourself in Charleston, where they remain a regional classic. Benne wafers are comprised of a blend of sesame seeds, brown sugar, vanilla, and other common cookie ingredients. The recipe for benne wafers was derived from foods brought to South Carolina by enslaved Africans, particularly the Gullah and Malinke people who came from West Africa and Guinea, respectively. 

Pronounced "ben-ee," this word simply means "sesame seeds" in the Gullah language. It is believed that West Africans brought benne plants with them on their forced journey to America because the seeds represented good fortune. Benne plants have been in the U.S. since the 1700s, and the seeds became a popular cash crop throughout the Lowcountry. For the Gullah people, who still reside in South Carolina's sea islands, these vintage, nutrient-dense benne wafer cookies are symbolic of their heritage.

Most benne wafer recipes use equal parts flour, sesame seeds, and brown sugar. A touch of baking soda, salt, and vanilla provide a floral counterpoint to the nutty seeds. Butter and egg add richness and bind the ingredients together. The abundance of seeds, flour, and butter, along with the tiny amount of baking soda, produces flat, thin cookies that are crisp without being too brittle or crunchy. Ideally, benne wafers should have a bit of a snap when broken in half or bitten into.

Not only do these cookies have a warm, toasted flavor, the sesame seeds inside are full of beneficial nutrients. Sesame seeds are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, and B vitamins. They may help reduce inflammation and joint pain, improve thyroid health, and lower cholesterol. Of course, these benefits must be weighed against the other ingredients in benne wafers — like butter and brown sugar, which aren't the healthiest, but who doesn't love a cookie every now and again!

Along with being a portable and fairly filling snack, benne wafers are versatile and easy to store. They can last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and even longer in the freezer. You can enjoy benne wafers crumbled on top of yogurt, stuff them with black sesame ice cream for gourmet mini ice cream sandwiches, or eat them with a dab of peanut butter. Benne wafers would also be a delicious base for tiny no-bake cheesecakes with fruit topping.