Roasted Sesame Oil
Flavor: characteristic Whether creating an entree, snack or salad dressing, designers always are seeking ways to set their product apart from others on the market. One way to achieve this is by creating a unique, complex flavor profile. Dark Sesame Oil is a concentrated, easy-to-use ingredient that offers one way to add flavor dimension.
Dark sesame oil is 100% virginia oil with the strong aroma and flavor of roasted sesame. This characteristic aroma and the ingredient's more stable oxidation level are due to the fact that this sesame, unlike some other vegetable or sesame oils, is obtained by pressing the seeds rather than through hexane extraction.
The process begins with sesame seed selection, followed by scaling, cleaning and roasting. After a series of pressings, the process isolates the oil by settling and filtering the extract of the pressed seeds. This process preserves the oil's color and nutrients, as well as some delicate flavor components.
Because of the ingredient's delicate flavor characteristics, it isn't ordinarily used for frying. Rather, the oil offers a way to add flavor to products such as marinades and salad dressings. Dark sesame oil is very concentrated, so designers must take care to avoid over-use - particularly if they are accustomed to formulating with ordinary sesame oil blends. Depending on the degree of flavor intensity desired in the finished product, typical usage levels may even be as high as 25% in applications such as salad dressing. |
TOASTED SESAME OIL
Odor: characteristic Use: This amber colored, aromatic oil, made from pressed and toasted sesame seeds, is a popular ingredient in Chinese cooking. Not for use as a cooking oil, however, as the flavor is too intense and it burns quite easily. Instead, sesame oil is normally added as a flavoring agent in the final stages of cooking. Sesame oil has been used since ancient times; the Babylonians cultivated sesame seeds for their oil, and the Persians used it as both a food and medicine. It is still used in holistic preparations for everything from treating infections to stimulating brain activity. Thick, amber-colored, and aromatic, dark sesame oil is made from roasted sesame seeds. Dark sesame oil burns easily and loses flavor when overheated, so it is used mostly as a condiment or flavoring for dressings, soups, and stir-frys. It is available at Asian groceries and well stocked supermarkets. |