Sesame Oil – Part I

Last post I’ve talked about oil pulling. Not only coconut oil can be used for oil pulling, the other oils can be used to. Today I will talk about sesame oil, it’s one of the famous healthy oils. Let’s know it with me…

Sesame oil (also known as gingelly oil or til oil) is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.

The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative medicine - from traditional massages and treatments to modern day fads. Ancient Indian medical system perceives, sesame oil to pacify stress related symptoms and on-going research indicates, that the rich presence of anti-oxidants and poly-unsaturated fats in sesame oil could help in controlling blood pressure.

The oil is popular in pockets of Asia and is also one of the earliest known crop-based oil, but world-wide mass modern production continues to be limited even today due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil.

Varieties
There are many variations in the colour of sesame oil: cold-pressed sesame oil is pale yellow, while Indian sesame oil (gingelly or til oil) is golden, and Chinese and Korean sesame oils are commonly a dark brown colour. This dark colour and flavour are derived from roasted/toasted sesame seeds. Cold pressed sesame oil has a different flavour than the toasted oil, since it is produced directly from raw, rather than toasted seeds.
Sesame oil is traded in any of the forms described above: Cold-pressed sesame oil is available in Western health shops. Unroasted (but not necessarily cold pressed) sesame oil is commonly used for cooking in the Middle East and can often be found in halal markets. In East Asian countries, different kinds of hot-pressed sesame oil are preferred.

Uses
Cooking
Despite sesame oil's high proportion (41%) of polyunsaturated (Omega-6) fatty acids, it is least prone, among cooking oils with high smoke points, to turn rancid when kept in the open. This is due to the natural antioxidants present in the oil.

Light sesame oil has a high smoke point and is suitable for deep-frying, while heavy (dark) sesame oil (from roasted sesame seeds) has a slightly lower smoke point and is unsuitable for deep-frying. Instead it can be used for the stir-frying of meats or vegetables, or for the making of an omelette. Most in Asia use Roasted Sesame Oil for seasoning, particularly in East Asian cuisine.

The Chinese use sesame oil in the preparation of meals for women during postpartum confinement.

Sesame oil is most popular in Asia, especially in Korea, China, and the South Indian states of Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, where its widespread use is similar to that of olive oil in the Mediterranean.

Body massage
Sesame oil is reputed to penetrate the skin easily, and is used in India for oil massage. In Maharashtra, Sesame oil (Teel Tel) is specially used for massaging the foot.

Hair treatment
Applying sesame oil to the hair is said to result in darker hair. It may be used for hair and scalp massage. It is believed to reduce the heat of the body and thus helps in preventing hair loss.

Food manufacture
Sesame oil is used in the manufacture of pickles. Refined sesame oil is used to make margarine in Western countries.

Drug manufacture
Sesame oil is used in the manufacture of Ayurvedic drugs.

Worship
Sesame or Til oil is used in brass or silver lamps kept in front of gods and goddess of Hindus. Sesame oil is used for performing puja in Hindu temples.

Industrial uses
In industry, sesame oil may be used as
• a solvent in injected drugs or intravenous drip solutions,
• a cosmetics carrier oil,
• coating stored grains to prevent weevil attacks. The oil also has synergy with some insecticides. Low grade oil is used locally in soaps, paints, lubricants, and illuminants.

Ref : http://en.wikipedia.org, and http://www.youthingstrategies.com