Sesame Oil
Sesame oil comes in two very different forms -- light or refined for cooking, and dark or toasted for finishing -- and is a defining aromatic fat across Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisines.
How to buy
Toasted (dark) sesame oil, pressed from roasted seeds, is meant for finishing rather than high-heat cooking, since it burns and turns bitter easily; light or refined sesame oil has a higher smoke point and a milder flavor, making it better for actual cooking. Check the bottle color -- dark amber means toasted, pale yellow means refined or light.
How to store
Store in a cool, dark cupboard away from heat and light, since sesame oil's unsaturated fats can turn rancid over time. Refrigerating toasted sesame oil after opening helps preserve its aroma for many months, though it may cloud slightly when cold, which clears again at room temperature.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Toasted sesame oil is intensely nutty, rich, and slightly smoky; light sesame oil is much milder and more neutral, useful as a cooking fat without contributing much standalone flavor.
- Texture
- Both are thin, pourable oils; toasted sesame oil is slightly more viscous and deeply colored compared to the pale, thin light version.
- Aroma
- Toasted sesame oil has a deep, nutty, almost caramelized aroma from the roasting process; light sesame oil smells much fainter and more neutral.
How to prepare
- Finishing drizzle — A few drops of toasted sesame oil added at the very end of cooking for aroma.
- Marinade ingredient — Mixed with soy sauce and garlic for Korean and Chinese marinades.
- Dressing base — Whisked into dipping sauces and salad dressings for nutty depth.
- Light cooking oil — Refined sesame oil used for sautéing when a milder sesame note is wanted.
Classic dishes
Chinese
- Dan dan noodles — Noodles tossed in a sauce built on toasted sesame flavors.
- Cold sesame noodles — Noodles dressed in a sauce of sesame oil and sesame paste.
- Hot and sour soup — Often finished with a touch of sesame oil just before serving.
- Mapo tofu — Sometimes finished with a drizzle of sesame oil for extra aroma.
- Scallion pancake dipping sauce — A soy-and-sesame-oil dip served alongside the pancakes.
- Zha jiang mian — Noodles topped with a fermented soybean sauce, often finished with sesame oil.
- Sesame chicken — Fried chicken tossed in a sauce finished with sesame oil.
Japanese
- Gyoza dipping sauce — A dip of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil served with pan-fried dumplings.
- Goma-ae — Vegetables dressed in a sesame sauce built with toasted sesame oil.
Korean
- Bibimbap — A rice bowl finished with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
- Japchae — A glass noodle stir-fry tossed with toasted sesame oil.
- Beef bulgogi marinade — Sesame oil as a key component of the marinade for grilled beef.
- Seasoned spinach banchan — Blanched spinach dressed with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
- Miyeok guk (seaweed soup) — A broth started by sautéing beef in sesame oil before adding seaweed and water.
- Korean cucumber salad — Cucumbers dressed with vinegar, sesame oil, and chile flake.