Unlike chocolate or cheese or basically 90% of foods, more isn’t necessarily better when it comes to toasted sesame oil. Just a few drops is enough to impart any dish with an intensely toasty and smoky sesame flavor—like the Gochujang-Braised Chicken and Crispy Rice we developed for the March magazine issue. Kadoya is the gold-topped standard, widely available and predictably powerful.
This isn’t the kind of oil that you sauté chicken in or drizzle over salad greens like olive oil. Toasted sesame oil already has a more concentrated flavor than regular (untoasted) sesame oil, and Kadoya's version is even more deeply flavorful than most. Think of it like cocktail bitters, and use it in equally small doses to prevent it from overwhelming your other ingredients. One dash can turbocharge a miso dressing, add complexity to a broth (like for ramen), or deepen the flavor of stir-fries or cold noodles. Chances are, even a very small bottle will last you a long time. Keep it refrigerated to preserve aroma and freshness; it will quickly go rancid if stored at room temperature.