Sesame oil (also known as gingelly oil or til oil) is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, It is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Korean and Southeast Asian cuisine.

From traditional massages and treatments to the modern day. The traditional Indian medical practice of Ayurveda uses sesame oil . Ongoing research also indicates that the rich presence of antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats in sesame oil could help control blood pressure.

The oil is popular in Asia and is also one of the earliest known crop-based oils, but world-wide mass modern production continues to be limited even today due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil.

Sesame fruit is a capsule, normally pubescent, rectangular in section and typically grooved with a short triangular beak. The length of the fruit capsule varies from 2 to 8 Cm. its width varies between 0.5 to 2 Cm. and the number of loculi from 4 to 12. The fruit naturally splits opens (dehisces) to release the seeds by splitting along the septa from top to bottom or by means of two apical pores, depending on the varietal cultivar. The degree of dehiscence is of importance in breeding for mechanized harvesting as is the insertion height of the first capsule.

Sesame seeds are small. The size, form and colors vary with the thousands of varieties now known. Typically, the seeds are about 3 to 4 millimeters long by 2 millimeters wide and 1 millimeter thick. The seeds are ovate, slightly flattened and somewhat thinner at the eye of the seed (heleum) than at the opposite end. The weight of the seeds are between 20 and 40 milligrams. The seed coat (testa) may be smooth or ribbed.

Sesame seeds come in many colors depending on the cultivar harvested. The most traded variety of sesame is off-white colored. Other common colors are buff, tan, gold, brown, reddish, gray and black.

For Cooking

Despite sesame oil's high proportion (41%) of polyunsaturated fatty acids, it is least prone, among Cooking Oils with high Smoke points, to turn rancid when kept in the open. This is due to the natural antioxidants present in the oil.

Light sesame oil has a high smoke point and is suitable for deep-frying, while dark sesame oil (from roasted sesame seeds) has a slightly lower smoke point and is unsuitable for deep-frying. Instead it can be used for the stir frying of meats or vegetables, or for the making of an omelette. East Asian cuisines often use roasted sesame oil for seasoning.

The Chinese use sesame oil in the preparation of meals for women during postpartum confinement.

Sesame oil is most popular in Asia, especially in Korea, China and the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where its widespread use is similar to that of Olive Oil in the Mediterranean.

Uses in India

Sesame oil is reputed to penetrate the skin easily and is used in India for oil massage. In Maharashtra, Sesame oil (Til Tel) is specially used for massaging the foot. It is also used for hair and scalp massage. Sesame oil is used in the manufacture of Ayurvrdic drugs.

In Hinduism, sesame or "til" oil is used in deepa or oil lamps kept in front of shrines for the Deities. Sesame oil is used for performing puja in Hindu temples. Also, particularly in South India, sesame oil is applied to the stone deities in the temple's shrines. It is only used on Deities made of black granite.

Vitamins and minerals

Sesame oil is a source of Vitamin E is an antioxidant and has been correlated with lowering cholesterol levels. Sesame oil also contains magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B6. Copper provides relief for rheumatoid arthritis. Magnesium supports vascular and respiratory health. Calcium helps prevent colon cancer, osteoporosis, migraine and PMS. Zinc promotes bone health.

Besides being rich in vitamin E, there is insufficient research on the medicinal properties of sesame oil. However, the following claims have been made.

For Blood pressure

Sesame oil has a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids—but it is unique in that it keeps at room temperature. This is because it contains two naturally occurring preservatives,sesamol and sesamin.

It has been suggested that due to the presence of high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in sesame oil, it may help to control blood pressure. It could be used in cooking in place of other edible oils and to help reduce high blood pressure and lower the amount of medication needed to control hypertension.

For thousands of years, sesame seeds have been a source of food and oil. Sesame has one of the highest oil content of any seed. Oil from the seed is used in cooking, as salad oils and margarine, and contains about 47 percent oleic and 39 percent linoleic acid. Sesame seed is also rich in protein, at 25 percent by weight. The flouer that remains after oil extraction is between 35 to 50 percent protein, has good effective carbohydrates, and contains water-soluble antioxidants that provide added shelf-life to many products.