Chamgireum – Korean sesame oil

Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is one of the very important factors in Korean cuisine.
As people around the world’s interest in Korean cuisine increases, there is information that Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is used a lot in Korean cuisine, and adding a lot of Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) improves the taste of the food.
However, these information are wrong.
I will talk about Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil).

Characteristics of Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil).

Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is oil squeezed out after stir-frying sesame seeds.
Unlike other Asian sesame oil, Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is stir-fried, so it has a strong aroma and a savory taste.

The price of Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is quite expensive because sesame seeds are not cheap.
To be exact, you need a lot of sesame seeds to make sesame oil. That’s why Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is expensive.

As Chinese sesame seeds were imported, the price of sesame oil began to become cheaper.
And it became cheaper as companies began to sell sesame oil manufactured using these Chinese sesame seeds.

The Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) in the image above is produced by a company.
The price is less than 10,000 KRW per barrel.
If you have a discount event at the mart, you can also buy two bottles for 10,000 KRW.

However, the taste and aroma are weak.
If you buy such sesame oil, you have to put in a considerable amount.
If you add a large amount, the taste of the food itself will decrease.

So people who cook Korean food well do not use this sesame oil.

However, there are times when Chamgireum’s with weak taste and aroma are used.
It is also better to use this kind of Chamgireum when you put Chamgireum in a sauce made to dip meat right away.
Note: It is not recommended to use this Chamgireum in a sauce that dips uncooked meat like a Yuksasimi.

It is Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) that is squeezed and sold directly from a Korean mill.
The price is about 13,000 won per bottle.
Compared to Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) sold at the mart, it is less in capacity and more expensive.
Of course, this Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) is also made of imported sesame seeds.
Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) made from Korean sesame seeds costs about 30,000 won a bottle.

If I buy Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil), I must buy this kind of Chamgireum.

The reason why there’s a difference in the taste of Chamgireum.

It can be said to be the difference between Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) made using sesame seeds and Chamgireum (Korean sesame oil) made using sesame powder.

In other words, Chamgireum using sesame powder is inexpensive, but its taste and aroma are weak, making it unsuitable for use in Korean food.

How to use Chamgireum in Korean food.

Chamgireum is usually used in Namul dishes.
After cooking all the Namul, add a very small amount (about a spoon at most) of Chamgireum to finish with a savory taste and aroma.
If you add a large amount, it will ruin the taste of Chamgireum.

For example, you can think of it as making a salad and adding just one drop of Chamgireum.

Chamgireum can be stored at room temperature for a long time.
You can buy a bottle and use it in small quantities like this.

These days, many Korean food recipes are searched on Google, and adding a lot of Chamgireum is wrong.
If you add that much Chamgireum, it’s not Korean food.

Chamgireum is

Chamgireum is a really important factor (or one of the seasonings) because Korean dishes often cook vegetables or Namuls.
A drop of Chamgireum is the best for food using vegetables or Namuls,

For example, in the case of bibimbap, which foreigners know well, a drop of Chamgireum is added at the end.

Chamgireum can be thought of as one of the small amounts of seasoning to enhance the taste of food, not cooking oil.

If you have a chance to visit traditional Korean markets, I recommend you to purchase Chamgireum once.
If you are overseas, it would be nice to purchase Chamgireum made by a company.