gomashio (aka super yum sesame salt)

That’s right. I wrote “super yum” and I’m stickin’ with it. Because it is.

Gomashio, or sesame salt, is a staple- on the table, macro condiment. “On the table?” you ask?

In the standard american diet, “on the table” condiments (or OTT’s we’ll call them for the rest of this post) often include salt, pepper and soy sauce, with mustard and ketchup occasionally making an appearance as well. In macrobiotic cooking, salt and soy sauce are still used as seasonings, the difference being that they are cooked into the food. The reason for this is that salt, soy sauce and miso, are, well, salty- and can have a yang (constricting, tightening) effect on the body. By cooking them into the food for a period of time, and using them sparingly, the strong yang effect is reduced- thus making it easier for your body to stay in balance.

Ever notice that after eating out you come home and want to drink a gallon of water?  Or maybe after eating that dinner you find yourself strangely drawn to an uber sweet dessert? Or a glass of something booze-y? That’s yin/yang balance in action, folks. In a very simplistic explanation- the super strong effect of salt causes you to crave excess amounts of water and/or sweets/booze to create a see-saw “balancing” effect.

Okay. So since most of the seasoning is cooked in, you may be wondering how can each person individualize their meal. The answer is macro OTT’s. (anyone else out there rapping “Who’s down with OTT? Yah, you know me!!” … anyone?) These are condiments that live on the table and can be used at each meal. They include gomashio (both black and tan), shiso powder, tekka and ao nori flakes. Gomashio is one of my favourites. It can be made in varying strengths, by using different ratios of sea salt to sesame seeds. I like to make mine at around 24 parts sesame seeds to 1 part salt. How salty you make it depends on each person’s unique condition, but generally you don’t want to make it much saltier than 18 parts sesame seeds to 1 part salt. You can make it with either tan or black sesame seeds- just be careful that the black ones you purchase aren’t dyed, and that you don’t use hulled white sesame seeds.

Benefits of Gomashio:

Besides the fact that IT’S FREAKING DELICIOUS, gomashio is alkalinizing and aids in digestion. Roasting the salt helps to release the chlorine from the salt- when you smell it, and the salt starts to look a little grey, you know that the salt has been roasting for long enough. Roasting the sesame seeds (or any nut/seed, really) brings the oils closer to the surface, and makes the grain more digestible and also more flavourful. Sesame seeds are high in manganese, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, Vitamin B1, zinc, selenium and fibre. They also contain phytosterols, which are believed to help  reduce levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. That’s a lot of good things packed into a tiny little seed!! And, did I mention that IT’S FREAKING DELICIOUS? Don’t take my word for it. Make it and see for yourself. Plus, there’s not much better than the smell of making fresh gomashio. Total heaven in a suribachi. (Isn’t this blue one adorable?!)