Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Sesame Oil

Unlock the perfect flavour pairings for sesame oil according to data science. Explore unique recipes and discover the hidden mathematics of flavour.

Roasted aroma and caramel notes are at the forefront of sesame oil's flavour profile, but identifying its perfect partner requires exploring its subtle nuances. We must examine the complex interplay of notes within its bouquet, like malt, toast, and hints of char. We need to understand how these notes affect each other and which complementary flavors they harmonise with.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our findings reveal, for instance, how steamed rice's oryzan tones can embrace sesame oil, or how white rice's oryzan notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the roasted aroma.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. maillard, woody, and nectarous) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Flavour Code

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Sesame Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of sesame is strongly associated with the flavour of rice. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a rice-like flavour, such as white rice, when pairing with the sesame aroma notes of sesame oil.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing sesame oil with white rice.

Harmonious Flavours Of Sesame Oil

Just as our analysis shows that sesame and koji flavour notes are commonly paired, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in sesame oil. Similarly, the caramel notes of sesame oil frequently pair with rosemary and peppery flavours.

The accents linked to the various accents of sesame oil can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of steamed rice offers many of the accents complementary to sesame oil, including rice and lacteal notes. Because the flavour profile of steamed rice has many of the of the features that are complementary to sesame oil, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of steamed rice across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with sesame oil.

Recipes That Pair Sesame Oil With Steamed Rice

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of sesame oil, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of sesame oil, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma notes complementary to sesame oil.

What To Drink With Sesame Oil

The rice notes in sake make it a perfect pairing with sesame oil. Likewise, the rice flavours in honjozo create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of sesame oil below.

Which Fruit Go With Sesame Oil?

Choose fruit that ground its turpentiness or enrich its toasted aroma. Avocado offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Coconut add a gentle, oniony brightness, while papaya introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace fruit that harmonise with sesame oil's toastiness. The addition of red bell pepper, with its subtle capsicum notes, can complement the toast beautifully. Blackberry bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while pear lends a mild pepper aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Sesame oil), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.