Goma Shio: Sesame Salt Seasoning Recipes and Uses
Have you ever sprinkled “Furikake (ふりかけ)” on rice?
For the unfamiliar, it is a traditional Japanese seasoning consisting of dry mini flakes/granules processed from ingredients such as meat, seafood, seaweed, and eggs.
Furikake has a long history and today comes in many varieties, and what I introduce here “Goma Shio (ごましお)” is something like Furikake.
Goma Shio (ごましお: Sesame Salt)
Gomashio is a compound word composed of “Goma (ごま: meaning sesame)” and “Shio (しお: meaning salt)”, and it is a Japanese sesame salt seasoning.
The seasoning usually only consists of 2 ingredients, black or white sesame seeds and salt.
Hence, Goma Shio is a simple seasoning/condiment, but it is rich in flavor, and if you try it once, you will like it.
Recipes
Regarding the recipe, there are two ways of making Goma Shio.
One is made from coarsely ground toasted sesame seeds combined with salt, in which case the recommended ratio is 6 (sesame) :1 (salt).
The other uses sesame seeds and saltwater, and here is a popular recipe of this type from cookpad.com.
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Black sesame seeds | 5 teaspoons |
| Water | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
- Put all the ingredients in a pan.
- Heat the mixture over low heat, constantly stirring with chopsticks.
- Even after the water has evaporated, continue heating the pan until the sesame seeds become dry and smooth.
- Then, turn off the heat and let the pan cool down.
- Put the sesame seeds in a lidded jar, and store them at room temperature.
Uses
Gomashio is a seasoning/condiment for rice and is typically used in Onigiri or sprinkled on Sekihan.
But it can be used in various ways, and here are some examples.
- Fry eggs with Gomashio.
- Sprinkle the sesame salt on sweets to accentuate the sweetness.
- Use it instead of soy sauce or salt.
- Sprinkle it over vegetable salad.
- Eat Tempura with the sesame salt.
