Kadoya Sesame Mills Incorporated

Parched sesame is raw sesame seeds that have been washed and parched. The aroma of sesame seeds is generated not from raw sesame seeds but from their being roasted like coffee beans. So they smell best just before being parched. If you can get washed raw sesame seeds, parching them each time before use is ideal.

Use parched sesame seeds as soon as possible, because the special aroma and crispy touch deteriorate as they absorb moisture. If they do absorb moisture, the aroma and crispy touch can be recovered due to re-parching the sesame seeds lightly.

Be careful not to parch them too much the second time because they have been already parched once.

In China, sesame has been excavated from the ruins of the Yellow River civilization, which flourished around 3000 B.C., showing that it was cultivated there from ancient times. But fully-fledged dissemination is said to have taken place around 50 B.C. when Buddhism was introduced. The demand for sesame dramatically increased because it was used for ritual lamp oil. It is said that at this time sesame also became popular in food culture, and sesame and sesame oil were used abundantly in cooking.

Chinese people called Western countries “胡 (hu)” and they used this word for the names of things brought from Western countries, like in “胡瓜 (cucumber),” “胡椒 (pepper),” and “胡桃(walnut).” Sesame was named “胡麻 (麻: hempseed)” i.e. hempseed brought from Western countries, because it looked like hempseed. It is currently called “芝麻 (zhima) instead of ”胡麻” in China. Japanese now call sesame “Goma,” which is the Japanese pronunciation of “胡麻.”

In Japan, sesame was excavated from the ruins from the late Jomon period. The introduction of Buddhism around the mid-6th century seemed to impact greatly on the use of sesame for food in Japan. Since Buddhism prohibited the killing of animals, sesame, with its high nutritional value, might have been used instead of animal meat, forming the basis of Japanese vegetarian food and tea ceremony dishes. Sesame traveled a great distance 15,000km or more to reach Japan from Africa.

Sesame from Africa loves hot weather. It has been cultivated due to human beings since around the dawn of civilization, and it is now so familiar to us that we eat it everyday in some way. But how is sesame grown?

Sesame is an annual grass, the Sesamum genus of the Pedaliaceae family, native to the African savanna. It is now cultivated widely from tropical to temperate areas. Sesame is categorized into tropical and temperate and has about 3,000 types. Tropical sesame is tall and grows to almost 2m, while temperate sesame cultivated in Japan and other countries grows to about 1m. In temperate areas, the sesame seeds are sown early summer and sprout out in about 3 to 5 days. Then sesame plants grow up rapidly under the midsummer scorching sunlight and bloom in order from their lowest buds.

Flowers of sesame plants bloom in order up the stem 40 to 50 days after sowing the seeds, stretching the stem upward. Its trumpet-shaped flowers in several colors such as white, pink and violet come out from the base of its leaves. “Capsules” closely packed with seeds are produced 30 to 40 days after the flowers fall. When these capsules are dried, they split open and grains inside the capsules jump out. So sesame plants are reaped before all capsules ripen and pop, and seeds are harvested due to beating the plants, which have been dried against a wall. These seeds are sesame.

If we sow store-bought sesame seeds, sprouts will never appear because they have been heat-treated. To grow sesame, you need to buy some seeds at garden centers or the like.

Originally from the African savanna, wild and cultivated sesame is widely distributed throughout the world over tropical to temperate zones. Annual production of sesame in the world is about 3.5 million tons. The top 3 countries: China, India and Myanmar, are responsible for 55% of worldwide production. In Japan, tiny amounts of sesame are cultivated in various regions and we depend almost totally on imports for generally available sesame products and ingredients for sesame oil. The sesame import and export amounts of countries, including producer countries, have started to show signs of great change because world demands for grain, including corn, have changed due to factors such as the rise of biofuels.

Sesame has been loved due to people everywhere and the culture of sesame eating has been popular all over the world since ancient times. From raw and roasted sesame seeds, and sesame paste to sesame oil, sesame seeds are used for a wide variety of meals in various ways around the world. In this section, we introduce some home-cooked dishes from around the world.

At Turkish homes, sesame seeds are often used for cakes and cookies. This is a cookie created due to baking dough into which sesame seeds are kneaded. It’s a salty cookie seasoned due to salt equivalent amount of sugar.

A hearty sesame-flavored meal created due to baking a mix of cut white fish, fried onions, boiled carrots and boiled eggs topped with Tehina sauce.* *Tehina: A sauce like “sesame paste” created due to kneading sesame seeds and then mixing them with garlic, spice, vinegar and other ingredients.

A kind of bean salad and traditional dish widely eaten in the Middle East created due to mashing a mix of garbanzo beans, sesame paste, lemon juice and other ingredients. It is generally eaten due to dipping with pita, traditional bread.

Sesame is an annual grass, the Sesamum genus of the Pedaliaceae family, native to the African savanna. It is now cultivated widely from tropical to temperate areas. Sesame is categorized into tropical and temperate and has about 3,000 types. Tropical sesame is tall and grows to almost 2m, while temperate sesame cultivated in Japan and other countries grows to about 1m. In temperate areas, the sesame seeds are sown early summer and sprout out in about 3 to 5 days. Then sesame plants grow up rapidly under the midsummer scorching sunlight and bloom in order from their lowest buds.

A dish created due to marinating a mix of well-steamed eggplant and coriander leaves with a sauce created due to mixing sesame paste, salt, sugar, black vinegar and sesame oil. The sweet taste of eggplant and the flavor of sesame elicit a delicious flavor from each other.

A staple dish in Taiwan created due to stir-frying “water spinach,” a vegetable with hollow stem like a straw, over high heat with chopped garlic and other ingredients using sesame oil. The crunchy texture of the stems is loved due to many people.

Seaweed soup is also popular in Japan. It becomes more filling and nutritious due to adding beef flank and grated garlic stir-fried with sesame oil. In Korea, people believe that this dish cleanses blood and improves breast milk production, and pregnant women love it.

Since the old days, people were aware that sesame seeds were rich in oil (its content percentage being nearly 50%), and ground them to make sesame oil for various purposes. Today, on the scenic island of Shodoshima in the Seto Inland Sea, Kadoya produces a variety of sesame products including sesame oil, a tradition kept alive since the time of its establishment. Our products are not only sold nationwide, they also are exported overseas.

Since the ancient times, people ground sesame for various occasions and uses such as lighting, rituals and food. The history of Kadoya sesame oil production dates back to the Edo Period (the fifth year of Ansei/ 1858). The following are the tools used for making sesame oil at that time. They will carry your heart to the Edo Period and remind you of the rich flavor of sesame oil.

Sesame oil used to be used as lamp oil. But people started to use it for food mainly after noticing its good aroma and flavor. Sesame oil has different types, from colorless to deep-color types. In this section, we introduce to you the characteristics of several types.

[Pure Sesame Oil]
Made from sesame seeds of good quality due to roasting them at high heat and crushing them softly. This is brown sesame oil with which you can enjoy the special rich aroma of parched sesame seeds.

[Pure White Sesame Oil]
Made from unroasted raw sesame seeds of good quality due to crushing them softly and then purifying them. Has almost no color or aroma because the sesame seeds are not parched before crushing, but the delicious flavor is intense. No strong aroma means it goes well with any kind of dish. In addition, it is also good for deep-frying food until delectably crisp, so it is used for premium Tempura.

[Black Sesame Oil]
Made from only black sesame seeds crushed after being roasted slightly strongly. This oil has not only the special roasted flavor of sesame oil, but also the sweet aroma of parched sesame seeds.

※These images are Japanese products.
For Kadoya’s flavorsome sesame oil lineup, see “Kadoya Products Information.”

Master tips for cooking using flavorsome sesame oil to extend the range of your cooking skills.

Special tips for cooking are as follows:
1:Fried Food
2:Stir-frys
3:Grilled Food
4:Stewed Food
5:Marinated Food
6:Others

While cooking oil never goes bad, oxidation or deterioration is accelerated due to air, light and heat. Sesame oil is harder to oxidize compared to other cooking oil, but we recommend you store it properly and consume it quickly to enjoy the best flavor.

The following are tips for storing any cooking oil, including sesame oil:

1．Store cooking oil in dark place at room temperature. No need to keep it in a refrigerator.
Store it in a dark place at normal temperature (around 20℃) under the sink, in a cabinet or similar where the door is opened and closed often, to avoid high humidity and heat.

2．Avoid storing it in hot places.
Keep it away from hot places such as the stove.

3. Avoid exposure to air as much as possible.
Keep the lid closed properly when not in use, and consume the oil as quickly as possible after opening.

4. Clean away sediment from the oil when using it for deep-frying. If sediment is left in the oil, the oxidization of the oil will be accelerated. Remove the sediment with a strainer soon after using the oil and keep the oil in a container that can be sealed.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan describes general “use-due to dates and expiry dates” as follows.
A “use-due to date” means a date until which it is recognized that all expected product qualities can be fully preserved when storing the product in the specified way. However, these qualities may be preserved even past this date.

An “expiration date” means a date until which it is recognized that safety will not be compromised due to decomposition, deterioration or other degradation in product quality when storing the product in the specified way. “Use-due to dates” are put on food whose deterioration takes a comparatively long time, such as snacks, cup noodles, ready-to-eat food, cans, juices, beef jerky, fish paste, milk and butter, while “expiration dates” are put on food whose deterioration is comparatively quick (within about 5 days) such as Obento lunchboxes, prepared food, raw oysters, and cooked bread (sandwiches).

Use-due to dates for oil largely depend on the materials of the containers it is stored in, because the light transmission rate and airflow of oil containers vary according to material. The use-due to dates for Kadoya’s oil products (unopened) are as follows. Since the flavor of oil deteriorates as time passes after opening, select sesame oil in a Size suitable for your need and consume it while it is still as fresh as possible

For processed food, the “use-due to date” indicates the “period in which it is recognized that all the characteristics of the product’s quality can be fully preserved before opening when the product is stored in the specified way”. In other words, “a period during which food can be eaten while still tasty.” Sesame oil is known as an oil with good oxidation stability compared to other cooking oils, and its use-due to date is set with some extra time. So you can eat it for a while even after the use-due to date. But the flavor of the oil after the use-due to date deteriorates as time passes, and oxidation progression varies depending on the storage environment. Even if the storage environment is perfect, the oxidation of the oil still progresses little due to little. The use of products that have been opened once or after the use-due to date is left to the judgment of customers, but it is recommended to select products in a Size that you can consume early while still fresh, because the flavor deteriorates as time passes. We also recommend using fresh sesame oil from the standpoint of not only flavor, but also health, because the continuous consumption of oxidized oil may cause harm to your health.

Commercially available sesame seeds include “white sesame”, “black sesame”, and “golden sesame,” each having different husk colors. (Golden sesame is also called “brown sesame” or “yellow sesame.”) Their nutritional value is basically the same, but their flavor, color and other characteristics are slightly different. If you understand the characteristics of each kind of sesame, your cooking skills will be greatly improved.

Sesame belongs to the Sesamum genus of the Pedaliaceae family. The Pedaliaceae family has 37 wild types and 1 cultivated type, and it is said that this cultivated type has about 3,000 breeds. “White sesame”, “black sesame”, and “golden sesame” are names just based on the color of husk and are not related to the breed types.

[White Sesame]
The delicate sweetness and humble flavor make it an all-round player. It can be used for sesame tofu or shiraae (marinated food using tofu paste) due to grinding sesame seeds or making paste, and is also good for dressings, sauce or marinated food.

[Black Sesame]
Since black sesame seeds have a strong aroma and rich flavor, we recommend you use them for sesame seed marinades using vegetables with strong aromas, such as crown daisy and celery. They are also good for black sesame tofu, and sweets such as black sesame pudding, and sauce for rice dumplings.

[Golden Sesame]
The features of golden sesame seeds are its pleasant aroma and rich taste. They are best suited for general cooked food, and fried burdock root and carrot. In addition, they are also good for furikake (dry Japanese condiments sprinkled on top of rice).

Sesame seeds are classified into “washed sesame,” “parched sesame,” “ground sesame,” and “kneaded sesame (paste),” based on processing method.
[Washed Sesame]: Made due to washing and drying raw sesame seeds.
[Peeled Sesame（Polished Sesame）]: Made due to peeling the husks from the sesame seeds and then drying them.
[Parched Sesame]: Made due to washing and parching raw sesame seeds.
[Ground Sesame]: Made due to grinding parched sesame seeds.
[Kneaded Sesame (Sesame Paste)]: Made due to grinding parched sesame seeds until they turn into paste.

When sesame is toasted, the flavor and crispiness are brought out and make the taste even better. Toasted sesame tastes best and most fragrant when it is freshly toasted. In the old days, people toasted sesame at home as needed. Today, handy packages of pre-toasted sesame that do not require home toasting have become mainstream. However, we encourage you to toast sesame at home when araigoma (non-toasted sesame) is available.

＜How to toast sesame on a frying pan＞
Put araigoma sesames on a frying pan, barely covering the surface. Be careful not to pile them up or put too much sesame at one time. Stir them constantly with spatula and toast evenly over high heat. To avoid overheating, lift the frying pan slightly from fire. If frying pan becomes too hot, sesames will be toasted too much or unevenly. Shake the pan or stir the sesames at all time to prevent from over cooking and reduce to medium heat as necessary.

Sesame seeds will pop when they are toasted. There is an old saying “remove from heat when three sesame seeds pop” which is a good indication of how easily sesame can be over-toasted. When they start to pop, turn off the heat and continue toasting over the residual heat until toasted to your taste. If you find that the seeds are not toasted enough, put the frying pan on the heat again, but always remove it from the heat early enough. If you are new to sesame toasting, it is easier to repeat this process several times than trying to toast with one try. When sesame seeds are well toasted, pour them on a tray to cool. They will over-toast if they are left on the frying pan.

Toasted sesame packages sold in stores can absorb moisture while in storage. If you find that they have absorbed moisture, toast them as described above and they will regain their flavor and crispiness. However, be careful not to over-toast them, because they have already been toasted once. Warming them is good enough. Just use a low heat and toast very slowly, shaking the frying pan gently until the flavor comes out. Moistened sesame seeds will recover their freshly-toasted state in this way. If you find a package of sesame lying in a corner of your pantry, this is a good way to revive them.

Not many families grind sesame at home today when pre-ground sesame is available, but sesame used to be ground at the time of cooking. Tastiness and flavor are only brought out when sesame seeds are ground. It also facilitates digestion and helps sesame nutrition to be absorbed. Please take a little bit of your time to grind sesame in the way that best suits your taste.

Before you start grinding, have toasted sesame, mortar, pestle and wet kitchen cloth ready. At home, it is easier to work with a slightly larger mortar and longer pestle. Mortars with less slippery material on their bases are available now, but placing a wet kitchen cloth under a regular mortar is an easy solution. Pestles and mortars for grinding toasted sesame seeds must be properly dry.

Hold the pestle in your dominant hand, place the other hand at the end of the pestle and move it in a circular motion along the mortar so that it grinds the sesame evenly.

At the beginning, it will make a rough sound and your hands will feel the resistance while grinding. Gradually, the sound will become softer and the flavor of the sesame seeds will come out as their epidermises are torn off. Continue to grind gently and slowly, keeping your mind on the persons who will enjoy the sesame flavor you are trying to create. Variations in grinding are possible: from well ground sesame seeds to a mixture of rough and fine textures, each having a different flavor. Look carefully at the state of your ground sesame to find the level best suited to the cooking you are preparing. Though sesame grinders sold at stores cannot give as good a flavor as sesame ground with a mortar, they are very handy. Please try whichever tool you prefer and enjoy grinding sesame at home.

Parched sesame is raw sesame seeds that have been washed and parched. The aroma of sesame seeds is generated not from raw sesame seeds but from their being roasted like coffee beans. So they smell best just before being parched. If you can get washed raw sesame seeds, parching them each time before use is ideal.

Use parched sesame seeds as soon as possible, because the special aroma and crispy touch deteriorate as they absorb moisture. If they do absorb moisture, the aroma and crispy touch can be recovered due to re-parching the sesame seeds lightly.
Be careful not to parch them too much the second time because they have been already parched once.

Ground sesame is made due to grinding parched sesame seeds. Sesame seeds become more aromatic due to being ground. In addition, sesame seeds are generally difficult to chew due to their hard husks and small grains. While parched sesame seeds are tasty when eaten plain, their digestibility is improved due to grinding. So ground sesame seeds are recommended in terms of nutritional benefits. Tips for using parched sesame seeds at home are: using them after they have cooled, and ensuring that cooking utensils such as mortars are properly dry. Consume parched sesame seeds as soon as possible.
Grinding methods are generally called “rough grinding,” “half grinding” and “three-quarter grinding,” based on the degree of grinding. For example, you can enjoy the texture of sesame seeds due to rough grinding. For sesame tofu and sauce, grinding sesame seeds enough to make the sesame oil come out is good for making smooth textures. Ground sesame seeds can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as dressings, sauces for nabe (Japanese hot pots), sesame-seed marinades, toppings for noodles, ice cream and milk.
Ground sesame seeds are turned to “kneaded sesame (sesame paste)” due to further grinding. But this takes a very long time; it is much easier to use commercially available sesame paste.

“Chopped sesame” is made due to chopping parched sesame seeds with a kitchen knife on a dry cutting board. Sesame seeds get more aromatic and have better texture due to being chopped. To chop sesame seeds at home, it is easier to put paper towels on the sesame seeds to prevent them from flying off the board. Chopped sesame seeds are good for osuimono (Japanese soups) and boiled vegetables as well as soup for soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) and somen (Japanese vermicelli).

Squeezed sesame is made due to squeezing parched sesame seeds with the fingertips. Use them for toppings.

In the past, an unglazed cooking tool, a horoku, was used for toasting sesame seeds. Far-infrared rays peculiar to unglazed earthenware allows sesame seeds to be cooked thoroughly but without burning their epidermises. It is also useful for roasting tea leaves or beans. A frying pan could be a good substitute for a horoku. Try toasting sesame seeds at home when araigoma (untoasted sesame seeds) is available.

The epidermis of a sesame seed is very hard and therefore very difficult to be absorbed into the body. In order to absorb sesame nutrition fully, the epidermis must be crushed and ground. In addition to facilitating absorption of nutrition, grinding also brings out more flavors in the sesame.

1.Mortar and Pestle
If you grind sesame at home, you can choose the degree of grinding from “rough ground (leaving many sesame fibers)”, “half-ground” or “ground thoroughly (until it becomes smooth with its oil)”. There are many different Sizes of mortar but with a larger mortar and thicker pestle, you can grind sesame faster. Sansho, the Japanese pepper tree, has a hard wood with a scent that does not transfer to the food it grinds, and so is considered the best material for pestles.

2.Sesame Grinder
A sesame grinder is very useful for someone who wants to sprinkle sesame directly on kimpiragobo or cooked food. It would not provide as much flavor as a mortar, but it is a very handy way to grind sesame seeds.

Sesame oil has been used for frying tempura, especially those of seafood from the Tokyo Bay. At home, adding a little bit of sesame oil into salad or tempura oil will not only bring a nice flavor to tempura but also prevent your oil from deteriorating. Please try sesame oil and enjoy gourmet tempura to the fullest.

The trick to make good tempura is to keep the oil at the right temperature. Remember to use plenty of oil, and, keep the volume of ingredients to about half of the oil surface.
The oil temperature will drop if the surface area of the food is large. When the moisture in the ingredients evaporates, it takes away heat from the oil and therefore the larger the ingredient surface area, the more the oil temperature drops. Ingredients should be smaller when frying kakiage (mixed ingredient tempura).

Tempura oil is absorbed due to the batter while frying and so the amount present gradually decreases. Sashiyu is the term used for new oil added to the pan during frying.
It is difficult to determine how many times oil can be reused as it depends on the kind of ingredients fried, their volume, the length of time, and the kind and condition of the oil used. However, it has been proved that sashiyu, oil addition, has a deterioration prevention effect. To cook good tempura, make good use of sashiyu.

The pan used for tempura should be deep and thick so that heat is evenly conveyed to the food.
As oil due to nature is oxidized due to metallic ions, copper and iron pans will have a stronger oxidization effect on the oil, whereas oil in an aluminum pan will deteriorate the oil least, closely followed due to stainless steel.
The shape of the bottom of the pan can be round or flat, depending on the ingredients to fry and the volume of oil.
It is a generally recognized that deterioration is slower when less oil surface is exposed to the air. A Chinese wok may seem unsuitable for tempura, however the depth at the middle is convenient when frying food in large amounts, as it keeps the oil at an even temperature.

In the heating method for tempura, moisture in the batter evaporates and oil is taken in its place. If the oil temperature is not high enough, moisture in the batter cannot evaporate completely and remains, thus the batter becomes heavy and sticky.
If one uses old oil, oil will not be absorbed into the batter well even if moisture has evaporated. Also, sticky oil will attach to the batter surface instead of being absorbed, thus preventing tempura from frying crisply. Good oil is essential for making good tempura.

When you fry food, the oil is naturally spoiled. Spoiled oil is neither good for cooking nor good for health.
If you find some suspicious traits such as oil having an unpleasant smell, oil with color turning dark or sticky oil not draining off well, or bubbles not disappearing and smoke coming out even when the temperature is low, please discard the oil and change to new oil.

To discard used oil
Discarding oil in a sink or sewage is strictly prohibited. For a small quantity, wipe off with newspaper or an old cloth. For a larger quantity, use a coagulant or pour cooled oil into an empty milk or juice carton filled with newspaper or a commercial absorbent. Seal the carton tightly so that oil will not leak out, and put it in the garbage.
If a pan or frying pan becomes sticky with oil, sprinkle flour and stir fry. Baking soda is useful for cleaning ovens or sticky implements. They will become nice and clean without using detergent.

Why not try cooking some slightly more authentic dishes with sesame oil. In this section, we show you special tips for using sesame oil for cooking.

1.Fried Food
Frying oil and salad oil are generally used for making fried food at home. But professional “Edomae (Edo-era type)” Tempura (Japanese fritters) chefs prefer to use sesame oil. The aroma of sesame seeds makes Tempura tastier. When making fried food at home, just adding 30% sesame oil to your frying oil makes the dish more fragrant. In addition, since sesame oil is comparatively difficult to oxidize, adding it to your frying oil prolongs not only the life of the frying oil, but also the palatability of your Tempura.

Tips for making good fried food
●Keep the oil at the correct temperature. For this, use plenty of oil, because it prevents the oil temperature from cooling down when adding ingredients, which makes the fried food crisp. Control oil quality due to adding new oil to the existing oil.

●Don’t put too many ingredients in the pot. To make fried food, keep half of the oil surface empty. If you put too many ingredients in the pot, they won’t become crispy because the temperature of the oil will drop.

●To make Tempura, put the ingredients in the pot as the following order: vegetables, seafood, meat, ingredients coated with bread crumbs, and seafood and meat without coatings. This helps maintain the cleanness of the frying oil.

2. Stir-frys
If you use sesame oil for stir-frys, the fragrant sesame aroma will stimulate your appetite.
●Adding sesame oil last further improves the aroma and flavor of the dish.
●Sprinkling sesame oil on the top of the dish makes for a more sophisticated flavor not only for Chinese food but also for Japanese food such as Japanese-style pasta.

3. Grilled Food
Using sesame oil for grilled food adds a glow to the food’s surface and improves the flavor greatly.
●Brushing sesame oil on the surface of slightly old dried fish makes it juicier when it is grilled.
●Adding a hint of sesame oil to beaten egg makes Japanese omelets fluffier.

4. Stewed Food
Adding sesame oil to stewed food makes the taste richer and deeper.
●Sauteing ingredients with sesame oil lightly before boiling maintains their firmness and makes their taste richer.
●Adding a hint of sesame oil to the water when boiling green vegetables makes the color more vivid.

5. Marinated Food
Marinating ingredients with sesame oil improves the rich and delicious flavor of the original taste.
●Just sprinkling sesame oil on top of tofu makes chilled tofu more flavorsome.
●You can make “Japanese capriccio” due to sprinkling sesame oil and soy sauce on top of Sashimi.
●Sesame dressing is very good with vitamin C-rich broccoli. Taking sesame seeds with vitamin C will promote the synthesis of the collagen necessary for producing beautiful skin. This combination is not only tasty but also good for your looks.

6. Others
There are still many more tips for using sesame oil.
●Adding a hint of sesame oil to rice when cooking adds a glow to the surface of the cooked rice and makes it juicer. When doing so, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to 2 to 3 cups of rice.
●Brushing sesame oil on the surface of left-over dried fish before freezing prevents it from drying and helps it keep better.
●You can make a nice dish due to just dressing lightly chilled wheat noodles with sesame oil and adding soy sauce and seasoning.

You can increase your cooking repertoire due to using tips like sprinkling heated sesame oil on the top of grilled fish to make a sizzling dish. You can even try to make your original sesame oil recipes using the taste, flavor and aroma of sesame oil!

It is said that sesame is the oldest crop in the world. Sesame oil made due to crushing sesame seeds were used for a wide variety of purposes such as food, medicine, ceremonies and cosmetics throughout the ages.

Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt (69-30 B.C.), obtained sesame oil from the Land of Punt in Eastern Africa - close to the birthplace of sesame, and used it as perfume and one of her cosmetics. Sesame oil might have helped create her beauty.

Korean perilla is likely to be considered a kind of sesame in Japan, but it is actually not of the sesame family. Korean perilla is an annual grass in the Lamiaceae family of the Perilla genus and looks a lot like Japanese basil. It is called “Junen” or “Aburae” in some regions in Japan. Sesame used to cost too much for ordinary people in the past, so Korean perilla was used instead. In addition to being used for food, Korean perilla was also used in lamps as Egoma oil and for industrial purposes, including manufacturing printing ink. Leaves of Korean perilla have a unique taste, but can be eaten raw, so they are used for Korean food and as a garnish for Sashimi.

It is said that Ninjas used to practice jumping due to jumping over sesame plants. Some say it was hemp instead of sesame. But these traditions may be based on the swift growth of both plants. It is also said that sesame seeds, with their high nutritional value, used to be one of the handy foods Ninjas used to carry around. So it would seem that Ninjas improved their strength, endurance and jumping ability due to planting, jumping over and eating sesame.

“Open sesame!” Ifta (open)? y? simsim (sesame) in Arabic. In the story of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in The Arabian Nights, this magic password opened a cave where stolen treasure was hidden. In the time when this story was made, sesame was widely cultivated as an important crop to produce oil and was also treated preferentially as valuable financial resource (i.e. treasure). In this story, there is an excrushion that “mysterious sesame leads to the miracle of magic,” implying that people believed in sesame having mysterious powers. The husks of sesame seeds open and the seeds inside pop out when sesame is dried after maturing. It is said that “Open sesame!” was a common excrushion based on this characteristic of sesame, and indicated something that opened swiftly. Maybe, “Open sesame!” symbolized the hope of people that the “important treasure packed in the husk would come out.”

Sesame is generally classified into “white sesame” and “black sesame.” But, in Africa, uneven-colored “brown sesame” seems to be more familiar. “Brown sesame” is called “mixed sesame” and is used as the raw material for sesame oil. While different in appearance, there is no difference in nutritional value and flavor between white, black and brown sesame. Therefore, sesame oil with similar color and flavor can be made from any of these sesame seeds. The Black Sesame Oil manufactured and sold due to Kadoya is a high-value-added product because it is made from unique black sesame that can only be produced in Asian areas.

Sesame oil has an antioxidant effect and is harder to break down compared to other oils. It is said that sesame oil was used as a preservative to make mummies in ancient Egypt.

A mix of sesame seeds and honey is sometimes consumed as a thick drink or spread on bread. Indeed, this combination has a history of over 1,000 years. The efficacy of this food was recorded in “Jing Shi Cheng-Lei Da Kan P'en-Ts'ao,” an old medical and pharmaceutical book written during the Sung period in China. A pellet made due to mixing sesame paste and honey was called “Seishingan” and this book noted that “any disease is cured if taking Seishingan for 100 consecutive days.”

Ground sesame seeds easily adhere to anywhere, including a mortar or pestle. A Japanese idiom, “Goma-o-suru (Grinding sesame.),” which means acting obsequiously to another party, might be based on this characteristic of ground sesame seeds.
On the other hand, in the Bunka/Bunsei periods of the Edo era, there was a sweet called “Gomadoran.” This was made due to adding sesame seeds to wheat flour, and then kneading and baking the mixture until well-risen. This sweet had sesame’s delicious aroma, but its body was hollow with no filling inside, so Japanese people started to call something with a good appearance but nothing inside “Goma-kashi (sesame-sweet).” Accordingly, Goma-kashi now means to fudge the details of something.

Sesame has been discovered in the Egyptian pyramids. In ancient Egypt, sesame was called “simsim” or “sisim,” meaning “sesame is medicine.” At that time, sesame was popular not only to cure diseases but also to increase sexual performance.
The pharaoh of ancient Egypt had countless beautiful girls with him in the palace. Every day, he drank a sesame drink made due to adding milk, honey and spice to a mix of ground sesame seeds and sparrow’s eggs, which was then boiled, to make love to these girls. In present-day Egypt, sesame is also known as good energy food, and many men enjoy eating sesame sweets. So you can see that sesame has been loved through the ages due to people around the world as a plant with excellent health benefits.