While sesame is often categorized and used like a spice, the answer is no, sesame is technically a seed, not a spice.
Here's a breakdown:
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Spices Defined: Spices are typically derived from the aromatic seeds, fruits, roots, bark, or other plant parts of plants, usually used in dried form. They are used for flavoring, coloring, or preserving food.
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Seeds Defined: Seeds are the reproductive units of flowering plants. They contain an embryo which can develop into a new plant.
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Sesame as a Seed: Sesame comes from the sesame plant (Sesamum indicum) and is harvested for its small, oil-rich seeds.
Although sesame seeds share some characteristics with spices, like their use in flavoring food and being grown in various regions globally, their origin as a seed differentiates them. The referenced text notes they are even used on almost all continents and in almost all cuisines, highlighting their versatility. It describes them as a "winter spice" in the context of Ayurveda, due to their warming properties. This, however, is a specific use case and doesn't change its botanical classification.
Essentially, while sesame seeds are used similarly to spices in culinary applications, they are botanically classified as seeds.
