How To Incorporate Black Sesame Into Your Diet

Black sesame paste is an up-and-coming ingredient in western cuisine. However, it's been around in Asian recipes for thousands of years. Black Japanese sesame paste is a delicious ingredient that adds a cool black color to your recipes and boosts flavor.

Below, we dive into the topic of Japanese black sesame paste and how you can use it in your kitchen.

Black Sesame Basics

This delicious paste is found in various recipes like rice cakes, oatmeal, milk, smoothies, sauces, and more. Black sesame paste is a staple in Asian cuisine, with many restaurants offering a drink or dessert made with this yummy paste.

What Is Black Sesame Paste?

Black sesame paste is found in many Asian recipes and is a thick black paste. Also known as neri goma, this black paste is used for sweet and savory dishes. Depending on where you’re enjoying food with black sesame paste (Japan, China, etc.), the flavor will typically sway one way or another. Japan is known for using a sweeter black sesame paste than other countries.

History Of Black Sesame Paste

The history of black sesame paste is a bit vague. The sesame plant is known to be native to Indonesia. However, records show the use of black sesame paste in China 5000 years ago. After this ingredient began moving on the Silk Road, it became an internationally known ingredient. It continues to be popular in Asia, with many people using it globally.  

What Does Black Sesame Paste Taste Like?

When using black sesame paste, you’ll be adding an earthy, nutty taste to dishes. It has a different flavor than white sesame seeds; it's bolder and offers a slight bitterness.

How to Consume Black Sesame Paste

Now that you're a black sesame expert, we'll explore additional black sesame paste uses to help you incorporate this yummy ingredient into your life.

How Is It prepared?

This yummy paste is made by toasting unhulled black sesame seeds. Then, the seeds are ground (like nut butter) until they turn into a thick paste. With sweeter versions of this paste, it is commonly combined with honey or sugar. The toasted sesame seeds are mixed with sesame oil instead for a more savory version.

How Is It Consumed (Traditionally Vs. Modern)?

When you use sesame paste in traditional dishes, you’ll see it in pastries, baked goods, fillings for desserts, noodle dishes, porridges, and more. The modern way of using black sesame paste includes mixing it with various flavors that complement its nutty taste, like creating a black sesame caramel to drizzle over nectarines.

How To Incorporate Black Sesame Paste Into Your Diet

Here’s the fun part, incorporating black sesame paste into your diet. If you have some extra time, you can use a recipe for black sesame paste and make a homemade version. You can experiment by adding it to baked goods and sweets (like buns, mochi, and ice cream) or mixing the paste with garlic and oil to create a delicious savory sauce.

How Do You Eat Black Sesame Butter?

There are other forms of black sesame, including black sesame butter, which is ground more finely than paste. This sesame butter resembles nut butter or tahini and works excellently as a dip or salad dressing ingredient. It’s typically ground with a millstone to help produce its thick, creamy consistency.

How Do You Eat Sesame Spread?

It’s common to eat black sesame paste or sesame spread in Japan on a piece of bread. This simple snack is known as shokupan.

What Does Black Sesame Pair Well With?

Since black sesame has a stronger taste than white sesame seeds, you'll want to pair it with foods that allow its flavor to shine. These foods include salads, tofu dishes, ice cream, sweets, biscuits, cakes, and drinks.

Where To Buy Black Sesame Paste?

If black sesame paste sounds like an ingredient you need in your pantry asap, you're probably wondering where to get this tasty item. You can easily find black sesame paste on websites like Bokksu Boutique.

Bokksu Boutique also features a delightful Premium Black Sesame Box, which includes all things related to black sesame paste. Try the various black sesame drinks, snacks, sweets, and spreads in this delicious box so you can start adding black sesame paste to your mealtime. One taste of the goodies in this box, and you'll be a black sesame paste lover for life!