Gomasio - Roasted Sesame Seed Condiment

Almost better than salt.

I came across this recipe recently and cannot stop topping all kinds of different dishes with this heaven-sent goodie. Gomasio is originally from Japan and used as dry condiment. The commercially sold version oftentimes has sugar in it as well, but we don’t need more sugar in our lives, do we? (Only in the form of dried dates, I’d say.) Once you made a batch of gamasio, you can keep it in a jar for a couple of weeks – though I can’t guarantee that it won’t be eaten until then. I love the crunchiness of the sesame seeds, their smoky flavour thanks to the toasting and the savoury note due to the added salt. Honestly, there are no rules for how to eat it, I sprinkle it over soups, salads, sandwiches and have even found myself sticking a finger into it and eating it just like that – don’t judge me please.

Servings: 1 jar

Total time: 10 min

For this condiment

Ingredients

15 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp sea salt

Instructions

1. In a frying pan, toast the sesame seeds on medium temperature until light golden-brown. You can either add the salt to the sesame seeds before toasting or after.

2. Pour the mixture into a mortar and grind it with a pestle (instead, you can also use a blender or coffee grinder). You can vary with the texture, depending on how crunchy you’d like your gomasio to be. I like it quite crunchy, so I put ¼ of seeds to the side and add them to the ground ones later on. 

3. Once done, transfer into a jar and keep it there for however long your gomasio will survive – I give it a few days before you’ll be making a new batch!

4. Sprinkle it over anything you please, like soups, salads and curries but do remember that it’s not very polite to bring your own condiments to a restaurant. Just a little reminder of common courtesy – you are welcome, I am here to look out for you.