How Sesame Oil Is Traditionally Made

Sesame oil is pressed from either raw or roasted seed, and that single choice decides much of the final oil's character, from a lighter, milder pressing to the deep, aromatic oil common in South Indian kitchens.

The steps

Sesame seeds, raw or lightly roasted, are cleaned and fed into a crusher, traditionally a wooden ghani similar to the one used for mustard oil.
Pressing from raw seed gives a lighter, milder oil, while pressing from roasted seed gives a darker, more aromatic one.
In South India, this pressed oil is often called gingelly oil, the same product under a regional name.
The oil is settled and lightly filtered rather than heavily refined, keeping more of its natural flavour and colour.
Refined sesame oil goes through additional processing that produces a much more neutral, lighter coloured oil for general cooking.

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Traditionally pressed sesame oil

Najirpur Farm I · Najirpur

Sesame Oil

$3.32 · 1 KG

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How sesame oil is made, answered

Is gingelly oil different from sesame oil?: No, gingelly oil is simply the South Indian name for sesame oil, the same product under a regional term.
Does roasting the seed before pressing change the oil much?: Yes, roasted seed gives a darker, more aromatic oil, while raw seed gives a lighter, milder one.
Is sesame oil pressed the same way as mustard oil?: Similarly, both traditionally use a ghani style mechanical press, though the seeds and resulting flavour differ entirely.
Why is sesame oil sometimes darker than other cooking oils?: Oil pressed from roasted seed carries more colour and aroma than oil from raw seed or a heavily refined process.

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