Best Sesame Oil

We're not all gourmet chefs, but when cooking, we can use simple ways to flavour and season our cooking, and sesame oil is a great way to do this and can introduce earthy and nutty flavours to salad dressings, noodles, fried rice, marinades.

It can also work wonders with spicy foods and chicken dishes, but what sesame oil will benefit your cooking experience?

With so many options and varieties of this oil, it's not always clear which one will compliment your cooking the best.

Not to worry, as we have picked out some of the best sesame oils that will complement a variety of meals and cooking styles, you'll know which ones are for you. If you want to enrich your cooking, read on to find out more.

The 6 Best Sesame Oils

Buyers Guide

We know that pairing a dish with a type of cooking oil can be something of a contentious point when looking at how to make dishes more flavourful, as some people might prefer richer and more intense flavours than others.

There are some factors that could affect your dish for the better or worse, so we've provided some below, and may even make your choice easier for the next time you go shopping.

Meal Prep

Knowing that different oils have different smoking points, a regular non-toasted variety of oil can be used in higher temperatures of 210° celsius and can be added to less stable oils to improve the flavour of deep-fried foods.

On the other hand, extra-virgin oil has a lower smoking point alongside regular olive oil you're only going to be able to use it in temperatures around 165-190° celsius, so you should consider what cooking method you're going for so you don't end up with a thinner consistency or loses its properties under intense heat.

You also don't want it to burn or smoke, which could be a hazard in the kitchen and spoil your meals, so you should also consider the safety aspect of using some oils. 

Type Of Oil

The type of oil you use will affect the flavour of your meals for the better or worse, depending on how you use them, so you want to decide if you're looking for a rich nutty taste to compliment your meal.

Be aware that in some oils, such as walnut oil, the taste can become quite bitter, so it might benefit from being used for sauces or salad dressings or any recipe that doesn't require cooking.

Then you have varieties such as light olive oil that has a lighter and more neutral flavour to dishes like Mediterranean cuisine where there is an abundance of flavour already in the recipe itself, so make sure to check the label for details about the flavour.

Health Benefits

If you're conscious about your health, in general, sunflower oil contains unsaturated fats that can affect chronic inflammatory conditions, heart health, obesity, and cancer if you are exposed to too much of this type of oil.

However, some varieties contain omega-6 fatty acids that are essential in our diet because the body can't make them and can be used to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels for immune response and growth and development.

A good option would be to go for lighter versions of your favourite oils or use less in your recipe if it allows for it, as you don't want to compromise the taste or consistency of your meals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Should I use Toasted Or Regular Sesame Oil?

It really depends on what you're planning to use them on, as, on the one hand, you have regular sesame oil that is great for cooking and stir-frying.

Then you have toasted sesame oil that works best as a finishing oil for already cooked foods or serves as an ingredient in a homemade vinaigrette.

As both of these oils serves to elevate the flavour of dishes, you might want to include both in your cooking arsenal. In brief, if you want a more intense flavour, go for toasted sesame oil.

You might have heard of a variety known as cold-pressed sesame oil, which can give a rich flavour to your food, but you shouldn't use them in a huge quantity or used with a lot of heat.

That is why it's trickier to cook with this oil and instead should be used on top of salads, breads, and cooked meats.

If you're someone who isn't experienced at cooking with these types of oils, you might want to stick to regular sesame oil as it can withstand high heat for frying and roasting and still gives you that flavour.

What If I Am Allergic To Sesame Seeds Or Nuts?

In general, you should avoid sesame oil, and if you have a nut allergy, there are certain proteins that resemble those that are found in certain nuts, so make sure you're checking the allergen advice on the label.

You can substitute it for peanut oil, but if you have allergies to peanuts, you could try avocado or olive oil, and in lighter forms can be beneficial to your health as well. 

Are There Any Alternatives To Sesame Oil?

You can find vegetable oil, walnut oil, peanut oil, perilla oil, and many other variations that offer the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin 3, and some can help prevent inflammation and support heart health.

The healthiest and universally used oils include extra-virgin olive oil, which is the least processed of the other oils and has a flavourful and fruity aroma, so you don't need to compromise in this area.

You should also be aware that oils such as sunflower oil should be avoided by people with diabetes as it has the possibility of spiking sugar levels, so doing your own research can help in this regard.

Can I Make My Own Cooking oil?

Yes, you can, and one of these ways is to purchase an oil press that is usually hand-cranked and heated with a small kerosene or alcohol lamp.

If you're looking for larger batches of oil, you'll need an automatic oil press which is going to set you back between £200 and £3,000, then you will need to select nuts or seeds with high oil content.

However, you don't need a press if you're making avocado or coconut oil, you have to extract the insides and boil until the pulp is separated from the mixture, and if you don't have an airtight container, you will have to use it within 2-3 days.

Of course, this might seem like a lot of effort for a workaround, as some people won't need a mini oil production facility in their kitchens.

For this, you might be better off borrowing one from someone, as the only real upside is that your know exactly what's inside your oil and doesn't contain any preservatives.

But there's no guarantee that you will get a satisfactory batch each time you use it, so you may want to consider your options.

Conclusion

So while we have a good selection here for you to try out, you might be thinking about whether there's a right or wrong way to use cooking oil, as experts and chefs everywhere will use different kinds of oil in different amounts.

This isn't to put you off using them but acts more as a recommendation as those richer and more intense flavoured oils aren't going to work with particular dishes or higher temperatures.

After all, you don't want to take the taste away from the individual components of a dish, like a salad, for instance, that you worked hard to prepare and include in your dish. 

If you find that your oil doesn't get the result that you're looking for, don't fret. Next time you could introduce an alternative or use a lighter version as part of a marinade that is locked into the food and doesn't overpower the taste at the same time. Thank you for reading.