1. In India, sesame oil is called gingelly or til; Idhayam Gingelly, a golden-hued oil available at South Asian shops, has a peanutty and slightly caramel undertone, owing to the addition of palm sugar.
2. Pale golden, light-textured Loriva Extra-Virgin Sesame Oil, a domestic, cold-pressed oil available at many gourmet markets, is similar to the kind produced in Cyprus. Clean tasting and well balanced, it's a great all-purpose oil.
3. Made with roasted sesame seeds, the orange-colored Kadoya Hot Sesame Oil, sold at Chinese, Japanese, and Korean markets, is derived from roasted sesame seeds and has a peppery punch, achieved by the addition of chiles, and tends to work better as a condiment-drizzled over steamed fish, for example¿than as a cooking medium.
4. Kadoya 100 Percent Pure Sesame Oil also comes from roasted seeds (and is also sold in East Asian food stores); it has a pleasingly bitter, smoky flavor.
5. Toasted black sesame seeds are the source of another East Asian-style variety, Union Food Pure Black Sesame Oil, which has a distinctive coffee color and a bracing, tannic flavor. Union Food's general manager, Daniel Chen, calls it a "two-drop oil" because a little goes a long way.
