Gomashio (

hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...

ごま塩 Gomashio (hiragana: ごま塩; also spelled ''gomasio'') is a dry condiment, similar to '' furikake'', made from unhulled and . It is often used in Japanese cuisine, such as a topping for ''sekihan''. It is also sometimes sprinkled over plain ri ...

; also spelled ''gomasio'') is a dry

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

, similar to '' furikake'', made from unhulled and . It is often used in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...

, such as a topping for ''

sekihan Red bean rice, called ''patbap'' () in Korean, ''sekihan'' () in Japanese, and ''hóngdòu fàn'' () in Chinese, is an East Asian rice dish consisting of rice cooked with red beans. East Asian varieties China Hóngdòu fàn (红豆饭) is ...

''. It is also sometimes sprinkled over plain rice or ''

onigiri , also known as , , or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in ''nori''. Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (''umeboshi''), salted salmon, katsuob ...

''. Some commercially sold gomashio also has sugar mixed in with the salt. The sesame seeds used to make ''gomashio'' may be either tan or black in color. They are toasted before being mixed with the salt. Occasionally the salt is also toasted. The ratio of sesame seeds to salt varies according to taste and diet, generally ranging between 5:1 (5 parts sesame seeds to 1 part salt) and 15:1. ''Gomashio'' is often homemade, though it is also commercially available in glass or

plastic container Plastic containers are containers made exclusively or partially of plastic. Plastic containers are ubiquitous either as single-use or reuseable/durable plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic bags, foam food containers, Tupperware, plastic tub ...

s. ''Gomashio'' is also a part of the

macrobiotic diet A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is a fad diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobiotic diets are to reduce ...

, where it is used as a healthier alternative to ordinary salt. Generally, the ''gomashio'' used in macrobiotic cuisine will contain less salt than traditional Japanese ''gomashio'' (a ratio of 18 parts sesame seeds to 1 part salt is recommended for some individuals with a particularly restricted diet) and made by hand grinding in a ''

suribachi ''Suribachi'' () and ''Surikogi'' () are a Japanese mortar and pestle. These mortars are used in Japanese cooking to crush different ingredients such as sesame seeds. The ''suribachi'' is a pottery bowl, glazed on the outside and with a ro ...

''. ''Gomashio'' is also used in the

Japanese language is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ...

to describe a head of hair containing both white and black hair strands that intermingle, similar to the English idiom "

salt and pepper Salt and pepper is the common name for edible salt and ground black pepper, which are ubiquitously paired on Western dining tables as to allow for the additional seasoning of food after its preparation. During food preparation or cooking, they ...

External links

Gomashio pageBlog post discussing Gomashio (includes recipe)
{{portal bar, Food Japanese condiments Salted foods Sesame dishes

See also

External links