Using sesame oil in cooking was new to me when I started making Ricky’s recipes, so when I went shopping for it and saw there were different choices, I had to do a little research. I found that some bottles are labeled sesame oil, some are labeled sesame seed oil, and some are labeled toasted sesame seed oil.
So which one do you use?
As always the choice is yours.
Sesame seed oil and sesame oil are the same thing as far as I can tell. It is an oil extracted from sesame seeds. There may be a difference in processing and/or intensity of flavor in the two, but it’s not significant enough for our cooking needs. It is found most anywhere cooking oils are sold.
It is a mellow, light tasting oil. It offers a hint of sesame seed flavor to a dish. It is much lighter in color and a lot less expensive than it’s toasted counterpart.
Toasted sesame seed oil, is much different from untoasted.
The sesame seeds are toasted before being processed to extract the oil. The oil tastes and smells toasted. It is a dark color and adds a pretty intense flavor.
It’s also quite a bit more expensive than the untoasted oil. My experience is that it is not always available in grocery stores. I keep an eye out for it when I am in a store that offers a large selection of specialty items.
Is one better than another?
Neither the sesame oil or the toasted sesame oil are inexpensive. Most specialty oils are not. But you don’t use a lot of it in any of our recipes, so it’s worth keeping on hand. As far as our recipes go, the less expensive standard sesame oil aka sesame seed oil works great. Because it is much less intense in flavor it is likely to be a touch of flavor everyone will enjoy. So we would suggest starting there.
That being said, the flavor of the toasted oil is delicious and even a small amount goes a long way. If you like the toasted oil, you can add a little to your serving before you eat it, as you would another condiment. That way you can have the best of both worlds. Cook with the cheaper oil and add as much of the distinctive flavor of the toasted oil as you like to your plate.