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Home Seasonings and Garnishes

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roasted sesame seeds in small black bowl

Toasted or Roasted Sesame Seeds

Korean Name: 볶은 참깨

Romanization: bok-eun cham-kkae

Scientific Classification: Sesamum indicum

Also Known As: 볶은 참깨 (Bokkeun ChamKkae), 볶은 통깨 (Bokkeun Tongkkae)

Flavor Profile/Texture:

Nutty Smoky

Substitutes:

black sesame seeds

Goes well with:

vegetables, meats, rice

What are Roasted Sesame Seeds (Bokkeun Chamkkae) ?

sesame seeds in blender
roasted sesame seeds

Bokkeum Cham-kkae 볶음 참깨 or Bokkeun Cham-kkae 볶은 참깨 are roasted/toasted Korean sesame seeds. They are used extensively in Korean cooking - as a flavor enhancer and as a garnish to be added on top.

Roasting the sesame seeds makes the seeds plump and also intensifies the flavor and is more nutty and smoky than the raw seeds.

If you want to learn more about sesame seeds themselves and how to grow and harvest them, you can read more HERE.

 

Not To Be Confused With

Kkae-so-geum 깨소금, Deul-kkae 들깨

Where and What To Buy

Korean or Asian grocery store, general grocery stores, online, Amazon.

Look for sesame seeds that say it's Roasted or Toasted.

In Korean, look for a combination of these words :

  • 볶음 Bokkeum or 볶은 Bokkeun = roasted
  • 참깨 (Bokkeun Cham-Kkae) = sesame seeds
  • 통깨 (Tong Kkae) = whole sesame seeds
korean sesame seeds bottles by sempio - left is organic and right is regular
Korean sesame seeds bottle (Sempio)

The left bottle is organic (유기농 Yuginong) Toasted Whole Sesame Seeds and the right bottle is regular Toasted Whole Sesame Seeds. Unfortunately, most of the sesame seeds sold at US markets are all imported into Korea from outside. Korean grown sesame seeds are usually very expensive so it doesn't get exported out.

So, if you look at the ingredient label, the Organic sesame seeds are from China and the regular ones in the right bottle are from India.

When I compared the taste, surprisingly the regular seeds from India was quite flavorful. As good as Korean grown sesame seeds (that my mother-in-law gave me when I visited her last time.)

So, I would recommend that you try different brands and see which one tastes best to you. Because the companies tend to import from different areas, it's hard for me to pinpoint one particular brand to be the best at this time.

How to Use/Cook

Use sesame seeds to add nuttiness to dishes and also as a garnish on top for decoration but also for extra nutty flavor. Sesame seeds are almost always added to Namuls, Muchims (salads) and Bokkeums.

Sesame seeds are probably the most used garnish besides green onion in Korean cooking.

How to Clean/Store

Sesame seeds and oil do not need to be refrigerated. They can be stored in a cool dry place for quite a few years. Lightly toasting older sesame seeds can revitalize their flavor and aroma.

How To Grow

Read more about Sesame plant and how to grow HERE.

Nutrition/Health Info

Because sesame seeds are eaten in small amounts, it's not clear how much of a health effect it will have on our bodies but it's known to have the following benefits -

  • may lower cholesterol and triglycerides
  • may help lower blood pressure
  • maybe good for bone health
  • good source of b vitamins

Research has shown sesame consumption can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Recipes that use it:

Cooked bulgogi on white blueish plate topped with chopped green onions

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef 불고기)

InstantPot Short Ribs - Korean Galbi Jjim

Instant Pot Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) – Fast and Delicious!

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

Kalbi Korean Short Ribs and Lettuce Ssam

BEST Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs) Marinade Recipe

Korean Tea Cookies (Dasik) for Lunar New Year (White Sesame, Black Sesame, Green Tea, Sesame)

Korean Tea Cookies (Dasik) for Lunar New Year

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

Hobak Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Zucchini)

Mumallaengi Muchim plated in white dish on striped bamboo mat

Mumallaengi Muchim (Spicy Dried Radish Salad)

gochujang meatballs finished in pot topped with green onions and sesame

Sweet Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer – Instant Pot or Regular

Acorn Jelly pieces laid out on plate on greens then topped with sauce

How to make Acorn Jelly (Dotorimuk 도토리묵)

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

Korean Cold Cucumber Soup (Oi-Naengguk)

Songpyeon Rice Cakes for Chuseok in colors

How to Make Songpyeon for Chuseok

Spicy korean dried squid recipe (Ojingeochae Muchim 오징어채 무침)

Korean Spicy Dried Squid Recipe (Ojingeochae Muchim)

Korean cocktail meatballs with Sweet Soy Glaze

Korean Cocktail Meatballs for the Holidays!

Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) one-pan recipe

Simple One-Pan Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae) Recipe

Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing (Memil Guksu Salad 메밀국수 샐러드)

Best Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette

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References:

  • Healthline
  • ScienceDirect
Korean Ingredient Glossary!

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