• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to footer-bottom navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kimchimari

Authentic Korean recipes even YOU can cook!

Free Korean BBQ Cookbook! TAP HERE to GET IT
POPULAR: our 10 takeout favorites
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube

Authentic Korean Recipes Anyone Can Cook

  • New to Korean cooking? Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Alphabet
    • Latest on the Blog
  • Ingredients
    • Korean Ingredient Glossary
    • Pantry Essentials
    • Pantry – Beyond Essentials
    • Korean Ingredients in Depth
  • How To
    • Cooking Basics + Tips
    • Buy + Use
    • Meal Plan
    • Make from scratch
    • Korean Veg Garden
  • Travel
  • Videos
    • Video Recipes
    • Web Stories
  • About
    • About Me
    • Press Interviews and Mentions
  • New to Korean cooking? Start Here
  • Shop
  • Free Korean BBQ Cookbook! TAP HERE to GET IT
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
Home Condiments and Sauces

Primary Sidebar

sesame oil in glass gravy boat

Sesame Oil

Korean Name: 참기름

Romanization: Cham-gireum

Also Known As: Toasted Sesame Oil, Roasted Sesame Oil

Flavor Profile/Texture:

Nutty Smoky Earthy

Substitutes:

Pumpkin Seed Oil, Perilla Oil, Walnut Oil

Goes well with:

meats, soy sauce, salt, garlic, cooked vegetables

What is Sesame Oil (Chamgireum) ?

sesame oil in glass gravy boat on white clothSesame oil is an amber-colored oil that's used both as a cooking oil and finishing oil. Sesame seeds (kkae 깨) are first slow roasted then are pressed to make oil. Some sesame oil is made without roasting, almost all Korean sesame oils are roasted in pretty high heat before they are ground and pressed which maximizes the flavor.

Korean Sesame oil is very rich and aromatic so only a small amount is needed. It also has a high smoke point (410℉) so you can use it for sautes, stir-fries and more. To obtain maximum flavor, add a drizzle of sesame oil at the end - much like you drizzle olive oil to finish a dish.

Not To Be Confused With

Perilla Oil (Deulgireum 들기름) made from roasted perilla seeds.

Where and What To Buy

BUY Jin Sesame Oil at my KIMCHIMARI SHOP

Korean or Asian grocery stores and 

Best - Jin Sesame Oil (produced in LA) 진참기름, Ottogi Premium Roasted Sesame Oil 오뚜기 고소한 참기름. Make sure you get 'premium'. The regular and the traditional style (옛날) is not as flavorful and armoatic.

Good - Chungjeongone Premium Sesame Oil 청정원 참기름

7 different bottles of korean sesame oil lined up
Korean Sesame Oils - different brands

I have a separate post where I compared the taste of all the above 7 brands. And my order of preference is from left to right with the top 1 and 2 being almost equal.

Try to buy sesame oil that has a wonderfully smooth taste, a very rich nutty flavor and a slight smokiness. Overly roasted sesame seed oil will have a bitter flavor. Colors will be usually darker the more it was roasted.

How to Use/Cook

Use sesame oil much like Olive Oil. You can use the less expensive, less fragrant ones for sauteeing and cooking. Use the more expensive and fragrant ones as a finishing ingredient - drizzle on bibimbap, muchim, namul and other dishes for most fragrant aroma. The fragrance does get diminished when cooked so drizzle after the heat is turned off.

How to Clean/Store

Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Can be refrigerated but it is not necessary.

How To Grow

You can grow sesame plants quite easily from seeds. Harvest seeds by drying stalks then shaking them off to get the seeds.

Nutrition/Health Info

  • high in antioxidants (sesamol and sesaminol)
  • high in linolic acid which prevents the formation of cholesterol, a cause of arterioscelorisis/heart diseases
  • MAY help control blood sugar - help treat arthritis and heal wounds and burns
Click here to read more about Sesame Oil

Recipes that use it:

close up view of poke nachose plated

Poke Nachos with Gochujang Mayo Sauce

Snowman Rice Balls Christmas

Snowman Rice Balls (Jumeokbap) for Christmas!

Cooked bulgogi on white blueish plate topped with chopped green onions

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef 불고기)

spam egg kimchi folded kimbap square sandwich

Easy Folded Kimbap Sandwich – 2 Ways

korean spinach side dish in white dish

Korean Spinach Side Dish (Shigeumchi Namul)

korean crown daisy namul on hanbok plate on green mat

Korean Chrysanthemum Greens Recipe (Ssukat Namul)

Pork Bulgogi - Korean BBQ Dweji Bulgogi

Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi Recipe & Video

soy sauce bibim guksu noodles picked up with chopsticks

Simple Korean Soy Sauce Noodles (Ganjang Bibim Guksu)

Kalbi Korean Short Ribs and Lettuce Ssam

BEST Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs) Marinade Recipe

Korean sesame oil in glass gravy boat on white cloth

Ultimate Guide to Korean Sesame Oil

Hobak Bokkeum close up on white shallow bowl on white table cloth

Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Zucchini)

Seaweed Stem Side Dish - Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum

Korean Seaweed Side Dish (Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum) – VG, GF

Japchae Korean Glass Noodles Closeup

Best Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) – Authentic and Amazing

Soybean Sprouts Side Dish Kongnamul Muchim Not Spicy

Soybean Sprouts Side Dish (Mild Kongnamul Muchim)

Bibimbap in Dolsot (Stone Pot) with vegetables and beef and egg yolk on top

Dolsot Bibimbap (Korean Stone Pot Rice Bowl)

rice meat and vegetables mixed with sauce in a white bowl

Bibimbap – Korean Mixed Rice with Meat and Vegetables

Instant Pot Yaksik - Korean Sweet Sticky Rice

Instant Pot Yaksik – Sticky Rice Dessert

Songpyeon Rice Cakes for Chuseok in colors

How to Make Songpyeon for Chuseok

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Next

References:

  • https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sesame-oil-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6

 

Korean Ingredient Glossary!

Learn about over 100 popular Korean ingredients in our new ingredient glossary!

Explore Ingredients
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
featured on
ny times logo
  • COOK
    • Recipe Index
    • Pantry Items
    • Videos
  • LEARN
    • Starter Guide
    • Korean How To’s
    • Travel
join the kimchimari family
Receive Free Cookbook and New Recipes by Email
join now
  • Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

free recipe ebook!

Join to get my FREE cookbook + monthly newsletters + recipe updates!

Thank you for subscribing!

You will receive an email shortly.