12.9 Food Applications
12.9.1 As Cooking Oil
Sesame oil, due to its excellent keeping quality, fatty acid composition (43% oleic
acid, 43% linoleic acid, 9% palmitic acid, and 4% stearic acid), good amount of
highly active tocopherol, and stability, has found versatile use in food processing
industry as cooking oil, in salad dressing, soups, confectionery, etc. and as a
flavoring agent in the final stages of cooking (Sowmya et al. 2009; Asghar et al.
2014). Asia is the largest consumer of sesame and its products, mainly as cooking
oil. In Japan, sesame seed is toasted prior to oil extraction which improves flavor and
also improves the keeping quality of oil (Alegbejo et al. 2003).
12.9.2 Bakery Products
Various bakery products like cake have high amount of fats (more than 25%) mostly
in the form of hydrogenated shortenings as it not only imparts the delicate and tender
eating properties desired in cakes but also helps in entrapment of air during creaming
process, physically meddling with the congruity of starch and protein particles and
emulsification of the liquid in formulation (Anilakumar et al. 2010). However, due to
the rising health-oriented concern in consumers, the application of hydrogenated fats
is now discouraged. Sesame oil, as a replacement of hydrogenated fat, can play an
important role in bakery shortenings as it has desirable characteristics along with
numerous health benefits. Studies report that low-fat cakes can be prepared by partial
(up to 50%) replacement of traditional fat with sesame oil without affecting the
baking quality (Sowmya et al. 2009). Sesame meal has emerged as a popular source
of protein as well as replacement of soy and legume proteins due to high levels of
sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine, and cysteine (Evans and Bandemer
1967; Smith 1971), lack of trypsin-hindering factors, and a pleasant flavor
(Boloorforooshan 1979; Brito and Núñez 1982). Some of the recently developed
functional food products using sesame seed or its products as ingredients and their
major findings have been summarized in Table 12.2.
12.9.3 Confectionary
In the Western world, sesame is essentially utilized as an ingredient in confectionary,
as the seeds are incorporated into crackers, sesame sticks, and various other food
products. Water-hulled, twofold washed, and dried sesame seeds are utilized on
hamburger buns. Dehulled sesame seeds are sweet and oleaginous and are utilized
specifically in various kinds of foods in different parts of the world, like in the
320
L. Sharma et al.
12.9.1 As Cooking Oil
Sesame oil, due to its excellent keeping quality, fatty acid composition (43% oleic
acid, 43% linoleic acid, 9% palmitic acid, and 4% stearic acid), good amount of
highly active tocopherol, and stability, has found versatile use in food processing
industry as cooking oil, in salad dressing, soups, confectionery, etc. and as a
flavoring agent in the final stages of cooking (Sowmya et al. 2009; Asghar et al.
2014). Asia is the largest consumer of sesame and its products, mainly as cooking
oil. In Japan, sesame seed is toasted prior to oil extraction which improves flavor and
also improves the keeping quality of oil (Alegbejo et al. 2003).
12.9.2 Bakery Products
Various bakery products like cake have high amount of fats (more than 25%) mostly
in the form of hydrogenated shortenings as it not only imparts the delicate and tender
eating properties desired in cakes but also helps in entrapment of air during creaming
process, physically meddling with the congruity of starch and protein particles and
emulsification of the liquid in formulation (Anilakumar et al. 2010). However, due to
the rising health-oriented concern in consumers, the application of hydrogenated fats
is now discouraged. Sesame oil, as a replacement of hydrogenated fat, can play an
important role in bakery shortenings as it has desirable characteristics along with
numerous health benefits. Studies report that low-fat cakes can be prepared by partial
(up to 50%) replacement of traditional fat with sesame oil without affecting the
baking quality (Sowmya et al. 2009). Sesame meal has emerged as a popular source
of protein as well as replacement of soy and legume proteins due to high levels of
sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine, and cysteine (Evans and Bandemer
1967; Smith 1971), lack of trypsin-hindering factors, and a pleasant flavor
(Boloorforooshan 1979; Brito and Núñez 1982). Some of the recently developed
functional food products using sesame seed or its products as ingredients and their
major findings have been summarized in Table 12.2.
12.9.3 Confectionary
In the Western world, sesame is essentially utilized as an ingredient in confectionary,
as the seeds are incorporated into crackers, sesame sticks, and various other food
products. Water-hulled, twofold washed, and dried sesame seeds are utilized on
hamburger buns. Dehulled sesame seeds are sweet and oleaginous and are utilized
specifically in various kinds of foods in different parts of the world, like in the
320
L. Sharma et al.