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Sesame oil is the one Asian ingredient that turns up in two completely different aisles, and the bottles look almost identical.
Which aisle is sesame oil in?
Toasted sesame oil is in the world food aisle of UK supermarkets, on the shelf with the Chinese and Japanese ingredients near the soy sauce. Plain sesame oil is usually in the cooking oils aisle with the olive and rapeseed oil instead. Which one you find depends on which type the store stocks.
Toasted or plain sesame oil?
They are two different products with near identical labels, and Asian recipes almost always mean the toasted one. Check the colour through the bottle if the label is unclear.
| Toasted | Plain | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | World food aisle | Cooking oils aisle |
| Colour | Dark amber brown | Pale gold |
| Bottle | Small, often 150 to 250 ml | Larger, like other cooking oils |
| Use for | Finishing, dressings, dipping sauces | Frying |
Where to look, supermarket by supermarket
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose all stock toasted sesame oil in larger branches. Work through these spots in order.
- World food aisle, Chinese or Japanese section. Small dark bottles near the soy sauce and rice vinegar. The usual spot for toasted.
- Cooking oils aisle. Where the plain version lives, and where some stores put toasted as well.
- Free from or health food bay. A few stores group cold pressed sesame oil with the specialist oils.
- Salad dressings and vinegars. Occasionally where a store shelves the small finishing oils together.
Aisle numbers change between branches of the same chain, so the section is a better instruction than a number. Small convenience shops usually carry none.
How to find the exact aisle in your store
Search the product in the supermarket app first. The Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app shows product location and live stock for the branch you pick, and will sort a shopping list into aisle order. That is quicker than checking two aisles on foot.
What to ask a member of staff
Say toasted sesame oil, not just sesame oil. Ask for sesame oil on its own and you will often be walked to the cooking oils, which is the pale version and no use for the flavour you want.
Asian supermarkets
A Chinese, Korean or Japanese grocer is the better trip if you cook with it often. The bottles are much larger, the price per millilitre is far lower, and you get proper Japanese and Chinese brands rather than one supermarket line.
Buy a size you will actually finish. Toasted sesame oil goes stale once opened, so a huge bottle is false economy for occasional cooking.
What to look for on the label
- The word toasted or roasted. Without it, you have the pale frying oil.
- 100 percent sesame. Some cheap bottles are blended with soya or rapeseed oil.
- A dark glass bottle. Light degrades the oil, so glass beats clear plastic.
- A small size. You use teaspoons, not tablespoons.
Storing it
Keep the bottle somewhere cool and dark with the cap on tight. Sesame oil turns rancid faster than most oils because of its high unsaturated fat content, and heat and light speed that up. Some cooks refrigerate it, which is fine, though it clouds and needs a few minutes out before use.
Frequently asked questions
Where is sesame oil in the supermarket?
Toasted sesame oil is in the world food aisle with the Chinese and Japanese ingredients. Plain sesame oil is in the cooking oils aisle. If the first is empty, check the second, because some stores shelve both together.
Can you fry with toasted sesame oil?
No. It has a low smoke point and the flavour breaks down under high heat, leaving bitterness. Fry in a neutral oil and add the sesame oil off the heat at the end.
Do all supermarkets sell toasted sesame oil?
Larger branches of the main chains do. Convenience format stores often carry only the plain version, or none. A big branch or an Asian grocer is the safer trip.
How long does sesame oil last once opened?
Follow the date on the bottle, and trust your nose. Fresh toasted sesame oil smells nutty and warm. Once it smells sharp or like old paint, it has turned and no amount of cooking will hide it.
Is sesame oil a nut allergen?
Sesame is a seed rather than a nut, but it is a recognised allergen in its own right and must be declared on UK food labels. Treat a sesame allergy with the same care as a nut allergy.
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- Toasted sesame oil. If your local shops do not stock it.
