“It’s very necessary in everything,” said chef and cookbook author Jong Kung.
Sesame oil comes in a variety of colors, potencies and uses. Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of the different breeds.
Refined and unrefined sesame oil
Refined sesame oil produces a very light-colored, medium-tasting oil that is suitable for multi-purpose cooking. It has a smoke point between 410 and 445 degrees and can be used like other neutral oils such as canola and vegetable oils. There’s not much difference between refined sesame oil and other neutral oils, so if you don’t have it in your pantry, you don’t need to add it.
Unrefined sesame oil is another story. “It just adds an aromatic punch to things,” says Kung. There are untoasted and toasted versions, the latter being more common. “You see variations of roasted sesame oil in well-stocked grocery stores, but not many others,” says Kung.
Comparison of roasted and unroasted sesame oil
Unrefined sesame oil, whether toasted or not, adds a delicious nutty flavor to anything it touches, but there are toasted varieties made from toasted or roasted seeds before being processed as an oil. Sesame oil packs a stronger punch.
In her recipe for sheet pan kimchi noodles, cookbook author and Plant Powered II newsletter author Hetty Louis McKinnon uses unroasted sesame oil to drizzle the finished dish. specified. “I usually use toasted sesame oil for the topping, but both toasted sesame oil and kimchi are very flavorful, so I didn’t want the sesame flavor to overpower the kimchi,” McKinnon said. Untoasted adds a gentle essence without a heavy punch. In this case, it feels more balanced. ”
But if you just want to add one new bottle to your pantry, toasting is the way to go. “I love rich flavors, so I use them toasted most of the time,” McKinnon said. Also, if you come across a recipe that specifies not toasting, but toasting is enough, you can simply use less to achieve the intended flavor profile.
Roasted sesame oil is commonly used as a finishing oil in dressings and sauces. One of my most common uses is to dip dumplings alongside soy sauce and vinegar. Kung’s favorite is to add it to rice to add flavor, “because it separates the rice a bit to make it more palatable,” he said. This oil is also often mixed with minced meat for dumplings and wontons. Beyond these uses, you can drizzle it over soups, vegetables, roasted or grilled meats, or anything else you can think of to add instant depth and complexity.
You can also use non-roasted oil and cook on low or medium heat. “When I sauté, I usually add unroasted sesame oil to neutral oil, which adds a base flavor to the dish,” says McKinnon. “Heat brings out more of the sesame oil’s flavor and adds a nutty flavor to the dish.”
Roasted sesame oil is known to be resistant to oxidation and spoilage, but it cannot be stored forever. “Eventually, the oil will go rancid, darken in color, smell harsh like paint thinner or nail polish remover, and start to taste unpleasant.” Food writer Max Falkowitz writes for online retailer Snook Foods. If it is stored in a cool, dark place, it is recommended to use it up within six months, but if you store it in the refrigerator, you can keep its quality for even longer. But I think the bottles in my pantry have been around for a long time, so smell them before you use them to make sure they’re still good.
If you add roasted sesame oil, the effect will increase little by little. So buy in small quantities unless you know you’ll run out of it quickly.