A signature ingredient in Korean cooking, this deeply nutty oil has a rich, distinctive toasty flavor. It’s made with milled sesame seeds, and it’s rich, nutty flavor makes dishes come alive. Korean sesame oil is different from the plain (untoasted) sesame oil sold next to the vegetable oil in Western supermarkets. It can also be used as a cooking oil.

Try a few different brands to see which one you like. I prefer Kadoya. Keep it in a dark place at room temperature.

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Recipes that use toasted sesame oil (chamgireum):

22 Comments:

  1. Lexa922 Germany joined 1/17 & has 3 comments

    Hi maangchi is there a diffrence between Chinese sesame oil and Korean sesame oi?

  2. fitXmom Florida joined 5/12 & has 21 comments

    New to this… is Sesame oil the same as Sesame Seed Oil? That’s the one I saw at the supermarket.

  3. hyena319 NYC joined 6/09 & has 4 comments

    Maangchi, Help! I brought a Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil, the large metal can and I can’t get the cap working properly. I followed the instructions but I can’t get an airtight seal and the cap is very loose. Do you have any suggestions on how to close the the sesame oil? Or should I transfer it to another bottle, but what is the best thing to do?
    Also, how long is it good in the refrigerator?

    Thank you so much Maangchi!

  4. Hi everyone! My experience with sesame oil is that the Korean one is better. I think it’s because we use it more often so better sesame oil is in demand…

    But usually the Korean one seems to be more appetizing. My housemate said the same thing. It’s probably because it has a stronger scent than the Japanese one?

    How you can tell is if you make stir fry and add the sesame oil, you will notice that the Korean one is the one that makes you want to eat it all~ Try it sometime, and you might get the same result. I use the traditional one (like the last picture in maangchi’s list) and my housemate uses something called 고소한 참기름.

  5. Joie Bernardino& has 3 comments

    What type of sesame oil should I look for in terms of color and the ingredients in it? I bought one that said “pure sesame oil” but the ingredients were “sesame, rice oil” so I don’t know how much of it is actually rice oil. I didn’t want to buy rice oil with just a little sesame in it but its called sesame oil. Its color was also lighter than the ones in the picture, resembled golden honey.

  6. i just subscribed! hope my food looks and tastes just like yours ^^

  7. Hi, I wondering if we have to have sesame oil in the fishcakes?

  8. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Karin,
    Thank you! Happy New Year!

  9. Hi.i’m from Malaysia. I like the fact that you take piz of the ingredients you use. This makes it easier to find these ingredients back in our country. Thanks!

  10. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Jake Gentry,
    Yes, the sesame oil in that link is good. Thank you!

  11. Jake Gentry& has 4 comments

    Hi Maangchi! I love your site! :D Thank you for making it so I can learn to make Korean food. Is this sesame oil okay? It says traditional… is that what I want?

    http://www.koamart.com/shop/34-3027-oil_vinegar_syrup_mayo-sesame_oil__traditional_korean_style__56oz.asp

  12. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hi, Anonymous,
    I don’t see much difference between Japanese sesame oil and Korean sesame oil. Yes, after opening sesame oil, I keep it in the refrigerator.

  13. Hi Maangchi, is there any difference between the korean vs japanese’s brand? do you have to keep sesame oil in the fridge?

  14. Hi Maangchi, I am using the Kadoya one. Is it better to use the korean’s brand? any much difference? Do you have to keep sesame oil in the fridge or room temperature is fine?

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