Aroma: What does it smell like? Is the sesame rich or faint or undetectable? Does it smell good, or are there off-notes? Is the aroma strong enough to finish a dish?
Flavor: Can you taste the sesame? Is it intense or mild? Roasted or grassy? Are there other notes that add to or detract from the overall flavor?
Use Case: Best for cooking, finishing, or both?
Fine Print
The Lineup: We tested 9 brands of sesame oil from the grocery. Our final lineup has a mix of local and imported brands, and both pure and blended sesame oil.
Why We’re Doing This: Did you know there are two types of sesame oil? Those who do assume pure sesame oil is always better than blended (which mixes sesame with soybean oil). We thought so, too. After the blind taste test, it turns out that isn’t always true!
How We Tasted: Each product was sampled as is, and over steamed white rice.
Blind Taste Test: All products were purchased brand new. Each was poured into labeled cups and tasted blind to prevent brand bias.
How We Scored: Each product was evaluated across 3 criteria. Final placements reflect the Pepper team’s averaged impressions.
Transparency: No brand paid for inclusion in this taste test. However, Fly Ace (Good Life) has been a past advertising partner of Pepper.
