What is the best toasted sesame oil, according to chefs?

MyTastr’s top pick is Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil, chosen by Grace Young (wok cookbook author). “My favorite brands are Kadoya or Maruhon” — check the label says pure sesame oil. Hooni Kim also calls Kadoya acceptable.

What are the other top picks for toasted sesame oil?

No. 2 is Nonghyup toasted sesame oil, chosen by Hooni Kim (Danji, Michelin-starred). No. 3 is Ottogi sesame oil, chosen by Soogil Lim (Soogil; ex-Daniel).

How does MyTastr choose these picks?

Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot.

Best toasted sesame oil, according to chefs

Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Grace Young, Chris Morocco, The Woks of Life, Hooni Kim and 2 more. Recommendations come from archive.nytimes.com, bonappetit.com, thewoksoflife.com and tastecooking.com and 2 other sources.

International Pantry · The ranking

1
Top pick
Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil
Chosen by
- Grace YoungWok cookbook authorgraceyoung.com ↗
Also chosen by
- Chris Morocco · Food director, Bon Appétit source ↗
- The Woks of Life · The Leung family · Chinese recipe site source ↗
“My favorite brands are Kadoya or Maruhon” — check the label says pure sesame oil. Hooni Kim also calls Kadoya acceptable.
Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: archive.nytimes.com ↗
2
Nonghyup toasted sesame oil
Chosen by
- Hooni KimChef-owner, Danji · Michelin-starred
Worth the splurge: properly made oil has “a delicious, sweet, and nutty aroma… and none of the bitterness.”
Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: tastecooking.com ↗
3
Ottogi sesame oil
Chosen by
- Soogil LimSoogil · ex-Daniel
Also chosen by
- Jin Joo Lee · Kimchimari source ↗
“When I worked at Daniel, I introduced Korean sesame oil to French chefs, who loved it.”
Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: nypost.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best toasted sesame oil, according to chefs?: MyTastr’s top pick is Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil, chosen by Grace Young (wok cookbook author). “My favorite brands are Kadoya or Maruhon” — check the label says pure sesame oil. Hooni Kim also calls Kadoya acceptable. Source: archive.nytimes.com ↗
What are the other top picks for toasted sesame oil?: No. 2 is Nonghyup toasted sesame oil, chosen by Hooni Kim (Danji, Michelin-starred). No. 3 is Ottogi sesame oil, chosen by Soogil Lim (Soogil; ex-Daniel). Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?: Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

More international pantry

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