Black sesame seeds are a rich and healthy food and can be eaten raw, but it is easier for the human body to absorb the nutrients after grinding them into powder. Therefore, more and more people put black sesame powder in just about everything, from rice, noodles and breakfast cereals, to yogurts, smoothies and ice-cream.
With so many options available, it’s honestly hard to choose the best one. Fortunately, we spoke with Jimmy, the general manager of a natural foods manufacturer, to give some useful insights to help you determine which one could work best for your health.
Sesame Oil is the King
Black sesame seeds contain a variety of rich minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fats (are a type of healthy fat that include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for brain function), but its taste, aroma and nutritional value mainly come from the black sesame oil, which accounts for half of black sesame seed . Therefore, the black sesame powder that retains the most nutrient-rich sesame oil after a series of production processes is of the highest quality.
“Throughout the entire production process of black sesame powder, each step should be carefully designed and implemented to preserve the sesame oil.”
Hull On or Off?
Black sesame seeds naturally come with an outer coat or hull. Many black sesame powders on the market are made from hull-on black sesame seeds. Some are even made purely from ground hulls. However, the hull itself contains oxalic acid which is believed to be the substance responsible for the bitter taste. Therefore, the more ground hull content in the powders, the less oil in pro-rata, and its fl avor and nutrients will be greatly lost.
Toasting
Like most nuts and seeds, sesame tastes better when toasted. The traditional way to roast black sesame seeds is to heat them over a large wok or pot, sometimes over direct fire, giving off a fragrant black sesame aroma which comes from the extraction and evaporation of the sesame oil. To preserve the black sesame oil for future consumption, some special equipment and techniques like the professional grade tunnel with multiple heating zones can help. Through conduction, convection and low-temperature roasting, most of the oil content remains intact.
Grinding
Consumers believe that the finer the black sesame powder, the better it is. However, you need to know that the longer the milling time, the more the black sesame oil will be damaged. Therefore, it takes a lot of experimentation and repeated testing to find the golden ratio of black sesame mesh size (powder particle size) and sesame oil to achieve the best soft coarseness and texture of the black sesame powder.
Pure
The best one should only contain 100% black sesame powder, without any additives such as sugar or maltodextrin.
With more than 40 years of experience in food manufacturing and a clientele ranging from fortune 500 food & beverage companies, local leading food brand owners to foodservice companies, the Hong Kong-based Master Lam Foods Ltd operates its own wholly-owned factory and supplies natural baking ingredients used in catering, breads, cakes, beverages, Chinese gift cakes, dim sums, desserts, dairy products, frozen foods and pre-packaged foods.
Company: Master Lam Foods Ltd
Enquiry: sales@masterlamfoods.com
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