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Clear Untoasted Sesame Oil


Darienne

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I bought it to make a version of Halvah which was a disaster...mine, only mine, no doubt...which ended up in the trash. Now I have a goodly number of halvah recipes to try, not to mention a gift of Israeli halvah coming from Ilana (Lior), and a nearly full bottle of sesame oil left.

It's not familiar dark amber, pungent Asian sesame oil which one uses in Chinese cooking. You could never mistake it for that sesame oil.

However, the label on the side says: 'adds potent flavour to your Asian dishes'. I tasted it and it's quite bland although definitely 'sesame' and clear in color. It says 'medium heat'.

What else can I use it for? Salad dressing? Other?

Thanks. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I googled the completely unknown 'Bibimbap' to find out what it is and while it does look good, I am without the requisite stone bowl.

It's true, I was looking for something which wasn't Asian...like salad dressings, etc. Humdrum, perhaps, but useful.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Darienne,

Yes, it is fine for salad dressing with nuanced sesame flavor. It is also fine for sauteing or roasting.

Tim

Thanks Tim. We eat a lot of roasted vegetables, summer and winter varieties. Will try it next time. Maybe a smallish amount first time round. The DH is pretty easy going as to foods...but not completely. :hmmm:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I googled the completely unknown 'Bibimbap' to find out what it is and while it does look good, I am without the requisite stone bowl.

You can make a bibimbap without a stone bowl. The stone bowl kind is called "dolsot bibimbap", but there's another kind, made famous by the city of Jeonju, called (fittingly enough) Jeonju bibimbap. You only need a regular bowl to serve it in.

Is the sesame oil 100% pure? Or is it untoasted? I've never seen a light sesame oil before. Is it an Asian or Middle Eastern product?

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The sesame oil is completely clear. Uncolored. Expeller pressed. Unrefined. 100% sesame oil. Company: Spectrum. Imported by Hain Celestial, British Columbia. Refrigerate after opening.

www.spectrumorganics.com. I'll look it up.

http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=6#p65

No idea of where it comes from... :sad:

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Oh yeah, look at that. Huh. Does your husband like spicy things? Can I recommend a salad dressing?

Take rice vinegar and your sesame oil in a 1:2 ratio. Add a tablespoon each toasted sesame seeds and sugar, and a teaspoon of Korean chili powder (gochugaru). Add a dash of good soy sauce. Shake it up, and serve it over a salad of red-leaf lettuce with chopped green onion. This goes really great next to a grilled pork chop and mushrooms.

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Oh yeah, look at that. Huh. Does your husband like spicy things? Can I recommend a salad dressing?

Take rice vinegar and your sesame oil in a 1:2 ratio. Add a tablespoon each toasted sesame seeds and sugar, and a teaspoon of Korean chili powder (gochugaru). Add a dash of good soy sauce. Shake it up, and serve it over a salad of red-leaf lettuce with chopped green onion. This goes really great next to a grilled pork chop and mushrooms.

Ed loves spicy things and although I would doubt that I could get gochugaru locally, I see that according to Wikipedia regular chili powder would make a suitable substitute. Thanks. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I use sesame oil for most of my cooking. I am assuming by "clear" you mean untoasted. I don't think it would be suitable for deep frying, but it works fine for me in stirfrying, sauteeing, and so on.

Hi Jenni,

Clear: I should have specified both untoasted and colorless, like water, that kind of clear.

The bottle says: 'medium heat', thus not for deep frying.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I use sesame oil for most of my cooking. I am assuming by "clear" you mean untoasted. I don't think it would be suitable for deep frying, but it works fine for me in stirfrying, sauteeing, and so on.

Hi Jenni,

Clear: I should have specified both untoasted and colorless, like water, that kind of clear.

The bottle says: 'medium heat', thus not for deep frying.

Yeah, that's what I figured. Use it just like any other cooking oil, but don't deep fry with it.

It's funny that you say it's clear like water though. I buy my sesame oil from two sources - my Indian grocer (it's used quite a lot in Indian cookery, massage and also for lamp oil) and also my local health food shop. Both kinds are untoasted, but they are still definitely not clear. Maybe it's because I only buy the non-refined kind.

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This sesame oil IS unrefined.

Strange that the directions on the clear, untoasted, unrefined, bland taste, etc sesame oil say to keep it in the fridge after opening...while the toasted, pungent, etc sesame oil says not to put it in the fridge. :hmmm:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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This sesame oil IS unrefined.

Apologies, must have missed that. Any chance you can post a picture? I'm confused that an unrefined sesame oil should be so clear.

Hmmmm :hmmm: my mistake also. When I actually poured some out for the photograph, I realized that it was more amber than I had thought at first tiny pouring.

20091001_01_01.JPG

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Interestingly, the Spectrum website has a recipe search function. They've got recipes for all their edible products on their website. Not a lot, but certainly enough to get you started if you're wondering what to do with it.

I never noticed that there were recipes...will return to the website. Thanks. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Ah, it's all making sense now. :smile: How do you find the flavour? I find it adds a real nuttiness to whatever your adding it to, very tasty.

Love sesame seeds, sesame candies, sesame oil, both toasted and now untoasted, tahini, hummus, halvah...

One year, at Chinese New Year's, my friend who gives a big feast each yea, was given the usual boxes of New Year's candies, and in one, only one, was a compartment of chewy candies, with NO seeds, but the distinct smoky toasted sesame flavor. No one else liked them, so of course I ate them all. Tried everywhere to find out what the candies were and how to make them, with no luck. Tried on eGullet too under Chinese candy. Maybe I'll post my question again...might be some new members there who would know. (Maybe not. My question was the 3rd last post.)

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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It's sort of an all purpose oil. The mild sesame taste does not really overpower. Sesame itself is used in many cuisines, - from Asian to Middle Eastern, Latin American, Mediterranean, etc. It's won't break down readily with heat, but it not as resistant as some oils like peanut.

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