Chinese sesame paste is a thin nutty-flavored paste made from toasted sesame seeds that are used in various sauces and desserts in Asian cuisines. Not to be confused with Tahini, which has a more raw flavor with slightly bitter undertones.
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How To Use It?
Chinese sesame paste is almost always used directly from the jar. It is most commonly added in sauces for noodles (aka sesame noodles) and used as an additional flavor for sauces for hot pot as well. It tastes very similar to peanut butter without the sweetness.
A brand new jar of sesame paste will have the oil and solids separated. It will need to be stirred together until it becomes a thin paste before you can use it.
Where Can I Buy Chinese Sesame Paste?
You can find sesame paste at Asian supermarkets, I find it easiest to find at Chinese supermarkets.
They come in small jars in the sauces aisle by the soy sauces. If you cannot find it locally, you can also find sesame paste online on Amazon as well.
How to Substitute It?
You can also substitute this with unsweetened natural peanut butter and sesame oil. Mix 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter with 1-2 drops of sesame oil. It must be the natural peanut butter that doesn't have a thickener/binder so the oils and solids separate just like the sesame paste which will give it a thinner consistency.
Do not substitute this with tahini. It has a completely different flavor.
How to Store It?
A brand-new jar of Chinese sesame paste will have a layer of oil at the top. Once you open the jar, mix it well with a knife or chopstick until everything is combined and smooth. Once you have it combined, store it in the fridge to prevent the sesame paste from separating again.
When you are near the bottom of the jar, you may notice that the sesame paste is very dry. To thin it out again, mix in a few tablespoons of oil and mix it together with the sesame paste until it is thin again. Use neutral oil with no flavor, and do not use any type of olive oil.
Recipes That Use Chinese Sesame Paste
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