What's the Difference Between Regular and Toasted Sesame Oil?

One is for cooking and one is for finishing. But which is which?
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Toasted sesame oil isn’t trying to trick you. Neither is regular sesame oil. They’re exactly what they claim to be. Regular, untoasted sesame oil is made from raw, pressed sesame seeds, and toasted sesame oil is made from toasted sesame seeds. This is one of the things in our ridiculous world that actually makes sense. Thanks, sesame oil. We needed that.

But what’s the difference between regular and toasted sesame oil, in terms of flavor and cooking uses? Good question.

The toasting process builds flavor in the sesame oil. When you toast spices, their flavors get livelier. The same goes for seeds. It makes the nuttiness more intense. But this added flavor makes toasted sesame oil better for finishing than cooking. It has a lower smoke point than regular sesame oil, which we use for shallow frying or roasting, mostly the same way we would use a neutral oil like canola or grapeseed.

Think of it like bread. Bread isn’t the same thing as toast. Well, obviously. But think about the difference. Heat brings out deeper, roast-y flavors in bread when it’s toasted. If you were go toast a piece of toast again, those flavors would continue to develop, getting more intense, until you were faced with gnarly, bitter, burnt bread. The same goes for sesame oil. Since toasted sesame oil has already developed flavor, heating it again will make it taste burnt and slightly bitter. Toasted sesame oil doesn’t want to be heated aggressively.

Use toasted sesame oil to coat cooked udon

Alex Lau

So use your toasted sesame oil for finishing some roasted vegetables or mixing into a salad dressing. Hit some pan-fried noodles with some, after using regular sesame oil in the pan. The rule, generally speaking, is this: Start with regular sesame oil, and finish with toasted sesame oil.

Your grilled vegetables will be more flavorful. Your noodle soups will be more aromatic. Your cabbage slaws will be more thought-provoking. Your friends will be happier, and you will be held in higher regard. All wins. All the time. All because you knew what the hell was up with sesame oil.

That said, you can use a little bit of toasted sesame oil to cook with. Here's proof:

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One-Skillet Roasted Sesame Chicken Thighs

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