Spinach or green beans are often dressed in sesame sauce in Japanese cuisine. We call this dish “Goma-ae (胡麻和え)”. Sweet and savory sesame sauce made with freshly ground sesame seeds adds rich and nutty flavors to refreshing blanched green vegetables.
What Does Gomaae Mean?
Goma (胡麻) in Japanese means sesame seed and goma-ae (胡麻和え) is a dish that’s dressed with the sesame sauce. The word ae (pronounced as [ah EH]. 和え) comes from the verb aeru ([ah EH ru]. 和える) which is to dress (the food with sauce).
Spinach Gomaae as Easy Side Dish
Spinach gomaae is one of the most popular side dishes, or as we call Osozai (お惣菜), in Japan. It’s extremely easy and quick to make, and it compliments well with any Japanese food. Not to mention, it is often added to a bento lunch giving a nice appetizing green color to the meal.
Freshly Toasted & Ground Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a delicate crunch to the dish. If you have time, I highly recommend toasting the sesame seeds (even for roasted sesame seeds) in a frying pan just for a few minutes (no oil needed). This simple step brings out the wonderful aroma of sesame seeds and toasty flavors. Once the sesame seeds are nicely toasted, grind them in a Japanese mortar and pestle. You will be immediately surrounded by the fragrant roasted sesame smell! Japanese grocery stores sell convenient crushed/ground sesame seeds in a package, but the fragrance and flavors won’t be the same.
Japanese Mortar & Pestle for Gomaae
For Japanese cooking, we make gomaae frequently enough that each household usually owns a Japanese mortar and pestle to crush sesame seeds as well as for various pastes.
The Mortar (Suribachi): It’s an earthenware bowl and the inside has a ridged pattern to facilitate grinding.The Pestle (Surikogi): It’s usually made of wood so that it prevents wearing down the ridges in the mortar.
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