Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Sesame Seed

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers sesame seed's optimal flavour pairings.

Roasted aroma and amygdaline notes are at the forefront of sesame seed'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 seed, caramel, and hints of butter. 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 analysis reveals, for example, how steamed rice's oryzan tones embrace sesame seed, and how koji rice's koji-like notes create a surprising synergy with its roasted aroma.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. maillard, earthy, 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.

Flavour Pairing Method

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Sesame Notes

Our analysis reveals a strong connection between sesame and koji flavours. Since sesame seed has a distinct sesame flavour, try pairing it with the koji flavours of koji rice.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing sesame seed with koji rice.

Harmonious Flavours Of Sesame Seed

Just as our analysis revealed that sesame and koji notes combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in sesame seed. For instance, the almond notes of sesame seed are strongly associated with astringent and tannic flavours.

The aroma accents complementing the various aroma accents of sesame seed can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of steamed rice offers many of the notes complementary to sesame seed, including rice and lacteal aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of steamed rice has many of the of the features that are complementary to sesame seed, 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 seed.

Recipes That Pair Sesame Seed With Steamed Rice

Linked Flavour Notes

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

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of sesame seed, 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 seed.

What To Drink With Sesame Seed

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

Which Cheese Go With Sesame Seed?

Choose cheese that ground its sweetness or infuse with its roasted nut aroma. Camembert offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Gruyère add a gentle, oniony brightness, while roquefort introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace cheese that harmonise with sesame seed's greenness. The addition of mature cheddar, with its subtle glutamic notes, can complement the grass beautifully. Feta bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while mozzarella lends a savoury richness.

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 seed), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.