Baked or toasted, sesame seeds have a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor with satisfying crunchy when eaten whole. Toasted sesame seeds brings out a stronger nutty flavor and aroma in many dishes.
Sesame seeds come in various colors including ivory, brown, red, black and yellow. The darker types are renowned for being more flavorful than the colored seeds.
European cooks often use sesame seeds to garnish pastries, bread and biscuits. In addition, they are used in South American, African and Asian cuisines for both savory and sweet dishes.
What to eat with sesame seeds? Sesame seeds pair well with chicken and other meats in stir-fried, rice dishes, or salads to add decorative features, crunch and flavor.
When sesame seeds are ground, it makes a smooth tahini paste or useful to thicken salad dressings.
Sesame seeds can be toasted, baked with, or uses whole in many dishes. From baking to salads and rice dishes, there are many ways to use sesame seeds in cooking.
These tiny seeds add a toasty, nutty flavor and some crunch to any dish needing a good source of protein, fiber, and fats. In this article, we go into detail about what goes well with sesame seeds.
What do sesame seeds go well with?
Thanks to their versatility, sesame seeds pair with a variety of ingredients to create savory or sweet dishes. Whether it is toasted, whole or finely grounded, the little touch can add depth of flavor to a meal.
If you are looking to find out what other ingredients goes well with sesame seeds, here are chef’s favorite ingredients to use in recipes:
- Baked goods: bagels, breads, cakes, cookies
- Fruits: apples, bananas, lemon, orange
- Meat: beef, chicken, duck, lamb
- Vegetables: beets, cloves, eggplant, paprika, scallions, spinach, zucchini
- Legumes: chickpeas
- Seafood: fish, scallops, shellfish, shrimp
- Spices: allspice, cardamom, chili peppers, cinnamon, coriander, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, pepper
- Herbs: cilantro, oregano, thyme
- Condiments: honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, vanilla
What herbs go well with sesame seeds
Herbs and sesame seeds can lead to a perfect match when done correctly. Due to the subtle and mild flavor of this seed, it blends well with a few specific types of herbs.
Some herbs that perfectly pair with sesame seeds include:
What food goes well with sesame seeds?
Sesame seeds can be integrated into main courses, nibbles and starters, snacks and light dishes, desserts and side dishes. From sweets to savory, sesame seeds goes well with Asian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Lebanese, Middle Eastern, and Turkish cuisines.
- Baked goods: Add sesame seeds to the dough when making cookies, candies, bread, crackers, breadsticks, scones and bagels to make them tasty, appealing and crunchy.
- Salads: In green or pasta salads and salad dressing, sesame seeds are great addition to give each dish and sauces in-depth flavor.
- Stir-fried dishes: Toasted sesame seeds are the perfect garnishing element to finished dishes, especially with stir-fried vegetables, meat, noodles, and white rice.
- Tahini paste: Sesame seeds are toasted and ground to make tahini paste, a condiment that is widely served in Middle Eastern dishes.
- Sauce: Variety of sauce can be made with sesame seeds, especially the authentic mole sauce or mole poblano that is made out of dried chiles, peanuts, sesame seeds, chocolate, cinnamon, and anise.
What flavor goes well with sesame seeds?
Sesame seeds pair well with sweet and savory flavors. Combining sesame seeds with condiments, fruits, nuts, and rice, these seeds garnish the dish and also add texture and flavor to it.
Here are classic flavor combinations that go well with sesame seeds:
- sesame seeds + honey + tahini paste + vanilla
- sesame seeds + garlic + soy sauce + spinach
- sesame seeds + brown sugar + cinnamon + vegetable oil
- sesame seeds + pumpkin seeds + poppy seeds + eggs
- sesame seeds + maple syrup + dates + vanilla extract
Eat with Sesame Seeds: Conclusion
Sesame seeds pair perfectly with chicken as well as other meat types. In addition, they complement salads and salad dressings, herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits.
Whether it is toasted or ground, sesame seeds can be added to rice and stir-fried dishes to give a distinct flavor and texture as a topping.
Though small, these seeds can make any food incredibly sumptuous effortlessly. These seeds can be eaten raw or baked to produce more of a nutty, natural and enhanced flavor.
Depending on the ingredients, these classic seeds can elevate both sweet and savory dishes including breakfast, dinner and dessert. From baked goods to salads, stir-fried dishes, tahini paste, and sauces, there are many usage of sesame seeds.
With sesame seeds, you don’t have to overthink since they can be added to almost anything. Try adding some in your recipes, and you won’t regret it!