Without This Tiny Ingredient, China's New Year Feast Loses Its Flavor!

The festive flavor is tightly bound to sesame!

Black sesame, white sesame—can you tell them apart with your eyes closed?

Image/Left: Visual China Group; Right: Tuchong Creativity

In fact, black and white sesame have different main production areas. White sesame is primarily grown in central regions and dominates the market in quantity, while black sesame is mainly produced in southern China, commanding a slightly higher price due to its lower total yield. White sesame, richer in oil, is mostly used for extracting sesame oil and everyday cooking, whereas black sesame, more nutritious, is often paired with sugar to create sweet treats and health products. Beyond these, there are also various lesser-known multicolored sesame varieties, such as yellow sesame.

Skilled in growing sesame, people naturally love eating it. In southeastern Henan, the most celebrated sesame delicacy is "sesame salt," known in some places as "crushed sesame salt." Roasted sesame mixed with salt and lightly crushed becomes a profound taste of home. Tear open a steaming bun, sprinkle some sesame salt, and take a bite—the sweetness of wheat, the richness of sesame, and the savoriness of salt make for a simple yet satisfying meal! To Henan locals, every part of the sesame plant is precious. Sesame leaves, after thorough washing to remove their sticky coating, are boiled with noodles to create the beloved "sesame leaf noodle soup," a hearty bowl of carbs and fragrant delight.

Crispy and chewy sesame brittle.

When it comes to sesame in China, look to Henan; within Henan, Pingyu reigns supreme. Pingyu sesame, a National Geographical Indication product, is hailed as "the king of sesame in the Central Plains," known for its thin skin, white seeds, and rich flavor. Pingyu sesame brittle is crispy and sweet. Roll sesame-infused dough into thin sheets, twist into shapes, and deep-fry to create another delicacy—the famous Pingyu sesame twists. In Pingyu, a foolproof way to calm a child is: "Don’t cry, don’t cry—do you want sesame twists or sesame brittle?"

Sesame-filled tangyuan—slurp~ Careful, it’s hot!

For many Chinese, sesame awakens sweet memories on the palate.

Let’s see which little one got their teeth stuck from greedily eating灶糖 (stove candy)?

Paper-thin sesame candy, incredibly fragrant and sweet.

Vegetarian duck with sesame—even more delicious than meat.

Fujian’s "Aojiu porridge" also relies on sesame for its rich, oily aroma.

Leicha—a rustic flavor born from the collision of strength and beauty!

Recently, sesame has been challenging another feat—sesame latte. Sesame refuses to back down: if pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts can pair perfectly with coffee, why not sesame? With the rise of innovative beverages, sesame is sparking more fun and unexpected combinations.

Oil-rich sesame adds endless delicious possibilities to the dining table.

How can you drink面茶 (miancha) without sesame paste?

Beijing’s traditional "miancha," a millet-based porridge, is bland and sticky without its crowning glory—sesame paste. As gourmet Tang Lusun described, "Using two bamboo sticks to dip diluted sesame paste from a copper pot, then swiftly drizzling it over the miancha," not only enhances its flavor but also keeps it warm till the last sip. Even more iconic is sesame paste for hot pot. What distinguishes the paste across different lamb hot pot spots? The secret lies in "xie"—thinning the paste. Scoop thick sesame paste, loosen it with a bit of sesame oil, then slowly add water while stirring clockwise until evenly diluted. Different restaurants add unique seasonings during this process, creating distinct flavors.

Sesame paste, leek flower sauce, and fermented tofu—the holy trinity of hot pot dipping sauce!

Tianjin, Beijing’s neighbor, takes sesame paste obsession further. Miancha? Double-layer sesame paste! Chicken tofu pudding? A spoonful of sesame paste! Vegetarian dumpling filling? Sesame paste amps up the flavor! Tianjin folks may be low-key, but their sesame paste consumption isn’t. Sesame paste noodles unite taste buds nationwide—from the corn or tendon noodles in northeastern spicy hot pot, to Wuhan’s iconic hot dry noodles, to Sichuan cold noodles that proudly claim "we only have poker" while secretly mixing sesame paste at the bottom. Sesame whets the appetite—utterly unbeatable!

This article is original content from [Di Dao Feng Wu].