White Sesame Paste — 100% Roasted Sesame, Made in Kyoto | 17.6 oz (500g)
White Sesame Paste — 100% Roasted Sesame, Made in Kyoto | Sample
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White Sesame Paste — 100% Roasted Sesame, Made in Kyoto

Roasted white sesame, stone-ground twice in Kyoto by Yamada Seiyu. Silky, sweet neri goma for goma-dare, goma-dofu and dressings. Nothing added.

Neri goma is Japan’s roasted sesame paste, and this is Yamada Seiyu’s white version, sold in Japan as Goma Neri Neri. The only ingredient is roasted white sesame. The paste is creamy and aromatic, with a natural sweetness that works in savory and sweet dishes alike.

Yamada Seiyu has been making sesame products in Kyoto since 1934. The sesame is specially blended for neri goma, and craftsmen roast it by hand, adjusting the roast to the condition of the seeds, the season and the weather. It is then ground twice in granite stone mills: a first grind, then a finishing grind. The stones turn slowly to keep friction heat down.

The paste is made at the company’s main factory in Katsura, Kyoto.

Ayako visited both of the company’s sites. At the Goma factory in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, she watched a craftsman roast sesame in an iron pan, moving the seeds with a hand broom. She saw the roasted seeds checked by color and aroma and pinched between the fingers to test their softness. At the main factory in Katsura, where this paste is made, she saw the stone mills at work. The company’s president calls himself henko, Kyoto dialect for a stubborn, particular person, and Ayako says the work she watched explains the name.

It comes in a stand-up pouch you squeeze, so no spoon is needed.

Roasted white sesame. Made in Japan.
Contains: sesame.

150 g / 5.3 oz — Stand-up pouch
500 g / 17.6 oz — Stand-up pouch
Sets of 6 × 500 g

All sizes are currently available to professional buyers.
For larger orders, please contact us.

Stir before use.

・**Shabu-shabu and hot-pot dipping sauce:** loosen with ponzu. For a richer goma-dare, whisk in dashi, soy and mirin a little at a time. Serve at room temperature, not hot.
・**Goma-dofu:** use 1 part kuzu, 1 to 1.2 parts paste and 6 to 7 parts kombu dashi. Strain, cook over medium heat while stirring from the bottom, and lower the heat once it turns translucent. Keep working it for at least 20 minutes after it begins to set, and serve it the same day.
・**Goma-ae:** mix with soy, sugar and mirin, then toss with spinach or shungiku blanched for only a few seconds.
・**Shira-ae:** mash drained tofu with the paste and white miso, then season with usukuchi soy.
・**Furofuki daikon:** stir a little into white miso with mirin and sake, warm briefly, and spoon over simmered daikon.
・**Poached pork and bang bang ji:** loosen the paste with yuzu kosho first, then add vinegar, soy, mirin and dashi a little at a time so the sauce stays smooth.
・**Tantanmen and sesame noodles:** for hot broth, dissolve into seasoned dashi once it boils. For cold noodles, thin with soy milk and white miso.
・**Miso soup, curry and braises:** dissolve about 2 teaspoons with each tablespoon of miso, or stir into curry, stew or a braise at the end for depth.
・**Chawanmushi:** loosen 1 teaspoon with sake and mirin before adding the stock and egg.
・**Bagna cauda:** warm with anchovy, garlic and white miso, and adjust the body with sesame oil.
・**Pasta:** thin with pasta water and finish with garlic and lemon.
・**Sesame pudding and ice cream:** whisk into sugar, add warm milk gradually and set with gelatin, or spoon over vanilla ice cream.

Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and high humidity.

**Shelf life:** 24 months unopened.

Nothing is added to preserve the paste. It is made from sesame alone and is very low in moisture (1.2 g per 100 g, producer figure).

#How is neri goma different from tahini? Can I use it instead?
Both are sesame pastes. Tahini varies by producer and may use hulled, lightly toasted or untoasted sesame. Neri goma is made from roasted sesame, and this one is stone-ground twice after roasting. This white neri goma has a creamy texture and pronounced roasted-sesame character. It works in most recipes that call for tahini, including hummus and dressings; add it gradually and taste.

#Is Japanese sesame paste the same as Chinese sesame paste?
Both are made from roasted sesame and are used in similar dishes, such as cold noodles and dipping sauces. Roast level and texture vary by maker, so the flavor is not identical. Yamada Seiyu’s white paste is creamy, with a natural sweetness. Taste it before swapping it one-for-one in a recipe.

#The oil has separated. Is the paste still good?
Yes. Separation is normal for a paste made from sesame alone, with no emulsifier added. Knead the closed pouch until the oil is worked back in, then stir before use.

#What is the difference between white and black sesame paste?
Yamada Seiyu notes that the nutrition of the two is almost the same; they differ in taste, aroma and richness. The white paste is creamy and gently sweet. The black paste has a deeper roasted character. White suits dishes where you want a pale color, such as goma-dofu and shira-ae.