Gomashio (

hiragana is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' means "common" or "plain" kana (originally also "easy", ...

: ごま塩) is a dry

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

, similar to ''

furikake is a dry Japanese condiment sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish, or used as an ingredient in . It typically consists of a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, dried seaweed flakes, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. O ...

'', 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 language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

, such as a topping for ''

sekihan Red bean rice, called ''patbap'' () in Korean language, Korean, ''sekihan'' () in Japanese language, Japanese, and ''hóngdòu fàn'' () in Chinese language, Chinese, is an East Asian rice dish consisting of cooked rice, rice cooked with adzuki ...

''. It is also sometimes sprinkled over plain rice or '' onigiri''. Some commercially sold gomashio also has sugar mixed in with the salt.

Composition and use

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

macrobiotic diet A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics) is an unconventional restrictive 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 macrobi ...

, 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''. The word ''gomashio'' is also used in the

Japanese language is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...

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

External links

Gomashio page
at northof49naturals.com
Blog post discussing Gomashio (includes recipe)
{{portal bar, Food Japanese condiments Salted foods Sesame dishes

Composition and use

See also

External links