Why Toasted Sesame Oil Is Best For Adding A Finishing Touch To Dishes

Sometimes, you can really elevate a dish, like salads (such as our strawberry arugula salad recipe), pasta, or roasted salmon with a simple drizzle of oil. Most people might reach for the olive oil, however, there's another oil that's best for adding a finishing touch to many dishes — toasted sesame oil. 

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But what exactly is toasted sesame oil? Extracted from toasted sesame seeds, it's a variation on standard sesame oil. Toasting the sesame seeds makes the oil smokier and richer in nutty flavor. Compared to toasted sesame oil, regular sesame oil tastes milder. With its more intense flavors, toasted sesame oil is perfect to drizzle over fully-cooked dishes to help elevate their flavors. You can even add toasted sesame oil to give ice cream sundaes a savory kick.

It's not only the flavor that differentiates toasted sesame oil from regular sesame oil. Regular sesame oil has a higher smoke point than its toasted counterpart, making it a better oil to cook foods in without burning them. So a good point to remember is to save regular sesame oil for cooking and frying, and toasted sesame oil for drizzling over dishes to impart a finishing flavor.

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Instead of drizzling olive oil over a dish, try using toasted sesame oil

Another dish that you can drizzle toasted sesame oil over is toast. This week, why not trying making our delicious sourdough avocado toast recipe for breakfast or brunch? Once you've assembled the lovely toast, finish it with a shiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil. The oil will add a flavorful nuttiness and smoky note that can really elevate sourdough toast and avocados. 

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Lately, we've really been into oatmeal. Usually we would drown our morning oatmeal with extra-virgin olive oil, just like Giada De Laurentiis does for breakfast. We can totally imagine coating a more savory oatmeal with toasted sesame oil. That rich nuttiness will really elevate the flavors in normally bland oatmeal. Likewise, toasted sesame oil is commonly added to dishes like congee and rice porridge.

If you don't have any toasted sesame oil or regular sesame oil at home, don't fret. It turns out you can make your own sesame oil with just two ingredients. To craft homemade toasted sesame oil, toast about half a cup of sesame seeds until golden-brown and shiny. You can do this in a frying pan without adding oil or in the oven or toaster oven. Then, add the toasted sesame seeds to about a cup of neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable. Cook it for a few minutes over low heat, until aromatic and fragrant. Then, allow the oil to cool and strain out the sesame seeds. 

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