Sesame Oil

Name: Sesame oil, pressed from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Two distinct products share the name: light, untoasted sesame oil used as a general cooking oil, and darker, toasted sesame oil used mainly as a flavouring.

Description

Sesame is among the oldest oil crops cultivated by humans, with formal cultivation dating to around 3000 BCE in the Middle East and reaching Egypt by around 1600 BCE — ancient Egyptians are credited with inventing sesame oil pressing. The seeds later spread to Japan by the 7th or 8th century CE, carried by Buddhist priests from Korea and China, with Japanese sesame oil production recorded from the Heian period (794–1191 CE) onward.

Untoasted sesame oil is pale yellow with a mild, grain-like flavour and is used as a general cooking oil. Toasted sesame oil, pressed from roasted seeds, is darker, more aromatic, and used almost entirely as a finishing flavour rather than a cooking medium.

Main nutrition value

Like all pure oils, sesame oil is essentially 100% fat and around 884 kcal per 100g, with a roughly even split between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. It contains natural antioxidants, particularly sesamol, which contribute to unusually good oxidative stability for an oil this high in polyunsaturated fat — toasting further increases sesamol content through heat-driven chemical changes in the seed.

How best to be consumed

Which type of sesame oil to reach for depends on whether you're cooking with it or flavouring with it.

1. Use light, untoasted sesame oil for general stir-frying and cooking.
2. Use toasted (dark) sesame oil sparingly, added at the end of cooking or drizzled over finished dishes for its distinctive nutty aroma.
3. Avoid using toasted sesame oil as a primary cooking fat, since its role is flavour, not heat tolerance.
4. Store both types away from heat and light, though sesame oil's natural antioxidants make it more shelf-stable than many other oils.

Overconsumption could cause…

As with any oil, the main consideration at high intake is simply excess calories.

1. Excess calorie intake if used generously, since a tablespoon carries well over 100 kcal.
2. Sesame allergy in people sensitive to sesame, a recognised major food allergen in a growing number of countries.

GroupsPlant/Fruit OilsHigh saturated fatLow sodium

Made fromSesame Seeds

Related foodsAvacado OilFlaxseed OilGrapeseed OilMustard OilPalm OilRice Bran Oil

Wikipedia — Sesame oil, used for production history and antioxidant content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_oil