Sesame oil

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About Sesame oil
Wikipedia Article About Sesame oil on Wikipedia

Expressed from sesame seed, sesame oil comes in two basic types. One is light in color and flavor and has a deliciously nutty nuance. It's excellent for everything from salad dressings to sautéing.

The darker, Asian sesame oil has a much stronger flavor and fragrance and is used as a flavor accent for some Asian dishes. Sesame oil is high in polyunsaturated fats ranking fourth behind safflower, soybean and corn oil. Its average smoke point is 420°F, making it excellent for frying. Sesame oil is particularly popular in India as well as in the Orient.

Sesame oil is used for massage and health treatments of the body in the ancient Indian ayurvedic system with the types of massage called abianga and shirodara. Ayurveda views sesame oil as the most viscous of the plant oils and as such good at passifying the health problem associated with vata aggravation.