Yamada Seiyu: sesame oil without the bitterness since 1934

Roasting sesame seeds. Source : Yamada Seiyu

Founded in Kyoto in 1934, Henko Yamada is a 3rd generation familly business specializing in premium homemade sesame oil products. The traditional manufacturing methods passed down from our founder, Henko Yamada, allow us to continue producing oils that meet the highest quality standards. 

The company produces additive-free oil to preserve the authentic taste of sesame seeds. Yamada Seiyu oils are produced from the first sesame press, which extracts only 30% of the oil contained in the seeds. 

Yamada Seiyu's sesame oil achieves a perfect balance of flavors thanks to its month-long oil pressing process:  

  • Roasting: The freshly harvested sesame is roasted by hand in an iron pot. This stage of the manufacturing process is carried out with millimetric precision by Henko Yamada's roasting experts. In fact, nothing is left to chance: even the day of roasting is chosen according to the ambient temperature.  

  • First press: After roasting, the sesame is pressed. Only a third of this first press is extracted as oil.   

  •  Washing:  The day after pressing, the oil is washed in hot water. This stage lasts 3 weeks, during which water and impurities detach from the oil and rise to the surface.    

  • Refining:   Separated from its impurities, the oil is poured into an iron cauldron heated over a wood fire. The aim is to remove the last traces of moisture from the oil without destroying the sesamol.    

  • Filter: The pressed and refined sesame is filtered to obtain the purest possible oil.   

  • Bottling: One month after the sesame seeds have been roasted, the oil is finally bottled.   

The result is an oil with delicate aromas of toasted sesame and very light bitterness. 

To learn more about the manufacturing process, watch the following video: “The roasting professional of the HENKO”. 

Use Yamada Seiyu oils to season your dishes or as a cooking oil. 

Find Yamada Seiyu products in our store!