Sesame oil

Oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds — dark, nutty and strong. A seasoning, not a frying oil.

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleSesame oil would soften its edgeIbu Sari's Sambal ijoSesame oil would soften its edgeKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaSesame oil would soften its edge

Classics built on it

CantoneseChar siuStrips of pork shoulder in a sweet soy marinade, roasted hot and glazed until the edges char.No one here has made it yetCantoneseWonton noodle soupThin, springy egg noodles and prawn wontons in a clear broth, finished with a few chives.No one here has made it yetCantoneseSiu maiOpen-topped dumplings of pork and prawn in a thin yellow wrapper, steamed, and often dotted on top with fish roe or a little carrot.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha stinky tofuBlack squares of fermented tofu, deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then pierced and filled with a sauce of chilli, garlic, soy and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetShanghaineseXiaolongbaoSmall, thin-skinned steamed buns of minced pork, pleated at the top and full of hot soup, served in the bamboo basket they cooked in.No one here has made it yetFujianRed wine lees chickenChicken braised with red wine lees, ginger and rice wine until it turns a deep rosy red — sweet, winey and warming.No one here has made it yetBeijingPeking duckA whole duck, its skin dried and glazed, roasted until it shatters, then carved at the table and wrapped in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, spring onion and cucumber.No one here has made it yetBeijingGoubuli baoziSmall steamed buns of half-raised dough, pleated tightly over a juicy pork filling loosened with stock.No one here has made it yetBeijingJiaoziCrescent dumplings of thin wheat dough around pork and chives or cabbage, boiled and dipped in black vinegar with garlic.No one here has made it yetSichuanDry-fried green beansGreen beans fried until blistered and wrinkled, then tossed with a little minced pork, preserved mustard greens, chilli and Sichuan pepper.No one here has made it yetSichuanChongqing hotpotA pot of beef-tallow broth thick with chilli, Sichuan pepper and chilli bean paste, kept boiling at the table for cooking raw meats, offal and vegetables.No one here has made it yetJapaneseMiso ramenThick, wavy noodles in a rich broth seasoned with miso, under stir-fried pork, bean sprouts and cabbage — and in Hokkaido, often sweetcorn and a pat of butter.No one here has made it yetKoreanBulgogiThin slices of beef marinated in soy, sugar, pear, garlic and sesame, then grilled or seared fast.No one here has made it yetKoreanJapchaeGlass noodles of sweet potato starch, tossed with beef, mushrooms and vegetables — each cooked separately — in soy, sugar and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianSambarPigeon-pea lentils cooked with tamarind, vegetables and a roasted spice powder, then tempered — poured over rice, or with idli and dosa.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianChettinad chickenChicken in a dark, fiery masala of freshly roasted spices — pepper, dried chilli, fennel, star anise — with coconut and curry leaves.No one here has made it yetSri LankanJaffna crab curryLagoon crabs cooked in the shell in a fiery sauce of roasted Jaffna curry powder, tamarind and coconut milk, with moringa leaves.No one here has made it yet