Sesame oil is most popular in continental Asia, especially in East Asia and the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, where its widespread use is similar to that of olive oil in the Mediterranean. East Asian cuisines often use roasted sesame oil for seasoning during cooking, or at the table.
What is sesame oil?
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. Oil made from raw seeds, which may or may not be cold-pressed, is used as a cooking oil.
Will Africa become the first Sesame producing country?
In the future, African countries such as Tanzania, Sudan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia may become the first sesame producing countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct intensive research on genetic improvement of African sesame genotypes using omics technologies.
Which countries use sesame oil?
The Chinese use sesame oil in the preparation of meals. In Japan, r¨¡yu is made of chili and sesame oil and used as a spicy topping on various foods, or mixed with vinegar and soy sauce and used as a dip. In South India, before the advent of modern refined oils produced on a large scale, sesame oil was traditionally used for curries and gravies.