Uses of White Sesame Oil in Food, Ayurveda & Industry
“White sesame oil is different from the toasted sesame oil you use as a flavouring. This guide explains what it is, where India stands in sesame production, and how Shree Uday Oil supplies it.”
Walk into a South Indian kitchen and you’ll find sesame oil gingelly oil, as it’s called in Tamil used as a base cooking fat the way northerners use mustard oil. But spend time in the natural beauty aisle of a health store and you’ll find ‘white sesame oil’ marketed for its light texture and skin benefits. And if you look at the export data, you’ll find sesame oil showing up as a significant Indian agricultural export.
These are all, in different ways, the same oil but the term ‘white sesame oil’ has a specific meaning that’s worth unpacking, because it’s not always used accurately.
What 'White Sesame Oil' Actually Means
White Sesame Oil in India is made from raw white sesame seeds, not roasted. It is unrefined and cold / expeller pressed and has a light gold to transparent colour and mild nutty taste. It has a higher smoking point than toasted sesame oil and thus can be used for cooking and not only for flavoring.
Toasted (or dark) sesame oil, on the other hand, is produced from roasted seeds and is very dark amber in colour; it has a nutty smell and a taste so strong that a few drops suffice for the whole dish. It should be noted that when clients request ‘white sesame oil’, they are most likely referring to the latter – oil produced from raw white sesame seeds, and not the roasted one.
India's Sesame Production
Among the countries that grow sesame in large quantities around the world is India, in addition to other countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Myanmar. Among the major countries in India that grow sesame are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
Other than the black sesame (Sesamum indicum), another variety of sesame grown in India is the white sesame. Black sesame possesses an individual market demand especially in Chinese cooking and in Ayurvedic medicine, since black sesame seeds and oils have particular medicinal value.
Regarding the cultivation of white sesame oil in India, it is very important for the quality of the seed to be high, as well as seed moisture content, storage and processing speed. Low-quality storage and processing results in the oxidation of the seeds, due to their high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Nutritional Facts — Their Importance to Consumers
Sesame white oil is made up of 41% oleic acid (monounsaturated), 43% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids), and approximately 15% saturated fat. In addition, it has sesamin and sesamolin, which are lignans (antioxidants that increase stability of the oil).
The content of vitamin E is not very high. What makes sesame oil different from other vegetable oils is its lignans – heat-stable antioxidants which are uncommon among other antioxidants and which increase the stability of the oil compared to other polyunsaturated oils.
For cosmetic industry, the advantages of white sesame oil include its light consistency, fast penetration into the skin and its antioxidant components. Sesame oil is used in Ayurvedic massage oils, baby massage oils, skin care products and hair care products – as an additive to other active components.
Uses Across Industries
As part of food: Sesame oil is the basic fat used in South Indian cuisine. Particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Traditional snacks and sweets such as chikki and til laddoos as well as rice preparations require sesame oil or sesame seeds. The export of roasted sesame oil from India has been increasing due to the utilization of toasted sesame oil in Japan and Korea as an additive in their food preparation.
Cosmetics & Personal care products: White sesame oil forms an important part of ayurvedic medicines. This oil is used for abhyanga (massage), hair care and skin creams owing to its penetrative and non-sticky properties.
In pharmaceuticals: Sesame oil is used as a medium for injectable preparations and oral formulations as well. The pharmaceutical grade sesame oil requires certain parameters like low free fatty acid value and peroxide value.
Shree Uday Oil supplies sesame oil including white sesame oil under the Suraj Til Sesame Oil brand across these segments with appropriate grade specifications.
Export Demand for Indian Sesame Oil
Japan, China, the US, and several European countries import significant quantities of sesame oil from India. Japanese buyers in particular are known for strict quality expectations colour, acid value, sesamin content, and flavour consistency are all evaluated carefully. Indian suppliers who’ve built relationships with Japanese importers have typically gone through a process of quality calibration that takes years.
For export-oriented buyers sourcing sesame oil in India, Gujarat suppliers are often preferred because the state’s established oil processing infrastructure means better quality control systems and more experience with export documentation.
Shree Uday Oil exports to international markets and has the compliance capability to support export orders with the required documentation.
Uses
Getting Sesame Oil from Shree Uday Oil
Shree Uday Oil & Foods Industries supplies sesame til oil in bulk for food manufacturers, personal care brands, Ayurvedic product companies, and export trading firms. Our retail brand Suraj Til Sesame Oil is also available for distributors and retailers.
Based at Chhatral GIDC, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, with operations running since 1991, we’ve built the operational consistency that long-term buyer’s value.
For enquiries: udayoilgroup@gmail.com or +91 9377011342. You can also explore our product range at udayoilgroup.com.