Homemade gomasio
The condiment that anchors rice: each crystal of salt wrapped in toasted sesame, to salt less while tasting more.
The condiment that anchors rice. Gomasio dresses each crystal of salt in toasted sesame oil — the bite of the salt softens, the calcium and iron of the sesame join in. One spoonful, and the dish finds its yang note.
Ingredients
- 16 tbsp whole sesame
- 1 tbsp grey sea salt
Method
The traditional ratio is 14 to 16 parts sesame to 1 part salt. Dry-toast the salt for a few moments, set it aside. Toast the sesame over low heat until it releases its fragrance and cracks under the finger. Grind the salt first, then add the sesame and grind coarsely in a suribachi (Japanese mortar) or mortar — keep some grain, not a paste. Store in an airtight jar, away from light.
The tip
By coating the salt in sesame, gomasio lets you salt less while tasting more. It is one of the most beautiful intelligences of the macrobiotic table: the marine mineral served in a casing of good fat.