Small, thin, lacy sesame-seed cookies, golden brown and crackle-crisp. A Gullah Geechee signature with deep West African roots; eaten as a snack, a tea biscuit, or a sweet to close a meal.

Benne (sesame) seeds came to the Lowcountry from West Africa with enslaved people from the Senegambia region, where sesame was a sacred crop. The Gullah Geechee community grew benne in coastal gardens for centuries; the wafers became a Savannah and Charleston signature in the 20th century, with Byrd Cookie Company (founded 1924) and others codifying the recipe for national export.

3 editor picks for Benne wafers in Savannah, ranked by editorial score. All Savannah signature dishes · Benne wafers across every city.

Also in: Charleston.

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