Sesame oil

A few drops at the end make a dish smell toasty and nutty.

At a glance

• Chinese: 芝麻油 (zi1 maa4 jau4). Everyday Cantonese: 麻油 (maa4 jau4). Also 香油 on some labels.
• Mandarin: zhīmayóu / máyóu
• English labels: sesame oil, toasted sesame oil, pure sesame oil

What it is

Oil pressed from roasted sesame seeds. It is dark amber and strongly scented. In Chinese cooking it is a finishing oil, like a seasoning, not a main cooking oil.

How we use it

• Add a few drops at the end of cooking or after the heat is off.
• Stir it through cooked noodles, rice, congee or steamed egg.
• Put a little in marinades and sauces.
• Do not stir-fry with it at high heat. It burns and tastes bitter.
• A little goes a long way: start with half a teaspoon to one teaspoon.

Which bottle

• Look for "100% pure sesame oil" or sesame seed oil as the only ingredient. Dark colour, small bottle.
• Pale "light" or untoasted sesame oil is a different product. It is mild and is not a swap.
• Cheap blends of sesame and soybean oil taste thin.
• Hong Kong: Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil (純正芝麻油) is sold in small bottles in the Lee Kum Kee Hong Kong online shop. Supermarket shelves also carry it, but we have not checked which stores.
• Keep it sealed, cool and away from the stove. Throw it out if it smells sharp or flat.

Allergy note

It is made from sesame, which is a common allergen.

Substitutes

• Skip it. The dish will still work, just less toasty.
• A little Chinese sesame paste (芝麻醬) loosened with a drop of oil is the closest swap.
• Tahini is milder and less roasted.
• Do not swap in pale cooking oil. It adds no flavour.

Dishes here that use it

• Sesame oil chicken fried rice (28)
• Negi & shio pork fried rice (27)
• Chicken cheese tomato pilaf (29)
• Pad see ew (71)
• Sesame sauce noodles (ma jiang mian) (72)
• Century egg & pork congee (73)
• Taro & Chinese sausage baked rice (74)
• Shiitake & chestnut rice (75)
• Creamy avocado pasta (76)
• Cauliflower & garlic pasta (77)
• Celery & tomato pasta sauce (78)
• Pumpkin rice noodles (79)
• Hairy gourd vermicelli, dried shrimp (80)
• Mapo tofu (102)
• Plum sauce steamed ribs (105)
• Steamed egg (family text recipe) (114)

Sources

Facts on this page come from these pages. We have summarised them in our own words.

• East Table: sesame oil
• My Chinese Home Kitchen: toasted sesame oil
• America's Test Kitchen: toasted sesame oil taste test
• CantoDict: 麻油
• Lee Kum Kee Hong Kong shop: Pure Sesame Oil