Pantry
Sesame seeds
Also called toasted sesame
What it is
Tiny seeds that taste like more once toasted.
Origin
Africa and India; essential in East Asia.
Flavour
Nutty, roasted.
How to use it
Toast in a dry pan until they smell like biscuits. Sprinkle; also grind for pastes.
Storage
Fridge — they rancid quickly.
Can you recognise Sesame seeds?
Ingredient challengeQuestions about Sesame seeds
From this ingredient's notes in the catalogue — not a chatbot.
What is Sesame seeds?
Tiny seeds that taste like more once toasted.
How do I use Sesame seeds?
Toast in a dry pan until they smell like biscuits. Sprinkle; also grind for pastes.
How do I store Sesame seeds?
Fridge — they rancid quickly.
What does it taste like?
Nutty, roasted.
What allergens should I watch?
Sesame. Check the packet in your kitchen.
Nutrition
Per 100g · estimate · USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables. Values are typical, not lab tests of your shopping bag.
Allergens: Sesame
Recipes using it
Bibimbap
비빔밥
A Korean rice bowl of seasoned vegetables, chilli paste and a runny yolk — mixed at the table until everything is the same red-gold colour.
1 hrMedium🌶️🌶️
Tteokbokki
떡볶이
Chewy rice cakes in a glossy gochujang sauce — the street stall that made K-food a late-night sport.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Yangnyeom chicken
양념치킨
Twice-fried Korean chicken in a sticky sweet-chilli glaze — the reason 'chimaek' became a word.
1 hrMedium🌶️🌶️
Dakgangjeong
닭강정
Bite-size fried chicken in a sweet-soy-chilli glaze — snack-bar energy, not a whole bird.
45 minMedium🌶️🌶️
Gimbap
김밥
Sesame rice rolled in gim with pickled radish, egg and vegetables — picnic food, not sushi with a new passport.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Bulgogi
불고기
Thin beef in a soy-pear-sesame marinade, cooked hot until the edges caramelise.
1 hrEasyNo chilli
Galbi
갈비
Soy-sesame marinated beef short ribs, grilled until the bones get sticky and the edges char.
2 hr 40 minMediumNo chilli
Japchae
잡채
Glossy sweet-potato noodles with sesame, soy and a rainbow of vegetables — banquet food that also does potluck.
55 minMediumNo chilli
Kimchi-bokkeumbap
김치볶음밥
Kimchi fried rice with a fried egg — the 10-minute argument for keeping sour kimchi and leftover rice.
18 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Gyeran-bap
계란밥
Hot rice, a fried or raw-ish egg, sesame oil and soy — the 4-ingredient bowl that still counts as cooking.
7 minEasyNo chilli
Dubu-kimchi
두부김치
Warm tofu with stir-fried kimchi and pork — a drinking-table plate that is also a real dinner with rice.
25 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Andong jjimdak
안동찜닭
Soy-braised chicken with glass noodles, potato and a lot of vegetables — Andong's sweet-savoury party pot.
1 hrMedium🌶️
Kongguksu
콩국수
Wheat noodles in an ice-cold, blended soybean broth — summer food that tastes like milk without being dairy.
9 hrMediumNo chilli
Oi-muchim
오이무침
Smashed cucumber salad with gochugaru, garlic and sesame — the 10-minute banchan that wakes up a heavy table.
15 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Gamjatang
감자탕
Pork backbone and potato in a gochugaru pot — a late-night stew you eat with your hands and a lot of rice.
1 hr 55 minMedium🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bibim-naengmyeon
비빔냉면
The same chewy cold noodles as mul-naengmyeon, but tossed in a sweet-hot gochujang sauce instead of ice broth.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️🌶️
Kongnamul-muchim
콩나물무침
Seasoned soybean sprouts — the banchan that is on the table even when you cooked nothing else.
15 minVery easyNo chilli
Sigeumchi-namul
시금치나물
Blanched spinach squeezed dry and seasoned with sesame — the other namul that lives in bibimbap.
11 minVery easyNo chilli
Gamja-jorim
감자조림
Potatoes soy-braised until they shine — the lunchbox banchan that tastes better cold.
35 minEasy🌶️
Gungjung-tteokbokki
궁중떡볶이
The older soy-sesame rice-cake stir-fry — court-style tteokbokki before the street went red.
30 minEasyNo chilli
Tteok-kkochi
떡꼬치
Rice cakes on a stick, fried and brushed with a sweet-hot glaze — the other street tteok.
30 minEasy🌶️🌶️
Onigiri
おにぎり
Salted rice you can hold — a filling in the middle, nori if you want it, and no, it is not a California roll.
15 minEasyNo chilli
Ochazuke
お茶漬け
Tea poured over leftover rice — a late bowl with pickles, nori and whatever is in the fridge.
7 minVery easyNo chilli
Goma-ae
胡麻和え
Blanched spinach in a sweet sesame dressing — the banchan-shaped side that belongs next to rice.
13 minVery easyNo chilli
Mango sticky rice
ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
Ripe mango, steamed sticky rice, salted coconut cream — a dessert that is only good when the fruit is.
4 hr 50 minEasyNo chilli
Loukoumades
λουκουμάδες
Yeast-fried dough balls, honey and cinnamon — the fairground doughnut that is also a saint's-day plate.
1 hr 35 minMediumNo chilli
Simit
simit
Sesame rings, chewy, sold on the street — dunked in pekmez before the sesame if you are doing it properly.
2 hr 20 minMediumNo chilli
Khobz el Dar (Algerian Semolina Bread)
Khobz el Dar
Khobz el Dar (Algerian Semolina Bread) from Algeria. Times were inferred from the source steps.
3 hr 15 minA bit of workNo chilli