The tiny cream seeds of the sesame plant have a subtle nutty flavour and are delicious sprinkled over salad recipes, added to bread mixes or sprinkled over stir fries and Chinese dishes. Tahini is a sesame seed paste used to flavour houmous and the Middle Eastern sweet known as ‘halva'. Sesame seeds can be dry fried in a frying pan to give a more distinctive nutty flavour. Fry gently and carefully as they burn easily.
Sesame oil
Derived from sesame seeds, this oil is used to flavour Chinese recipes; just a few drops at the end of the cooking will add a delicious nuttiness to the dish. Sesame oil should not be used for frying as it burns easily.