State City Small Stone-Ground Sesame Oil

State City Small Stone-Ground Sesame Oil

　　State City is a historic ancient town with a thousand-year civilization. Historically, it was home to many renowned local products, and small stone-ground sesame oil was one of them. Among the more famous was the Wang family’s small stone-ground sesame oil from West Gate Street, which had been passed down through generations. Before liberation, they operated a shop on the east side of Xiamen North Road in the west, and thanks to their genuine and high-quality products, their reputation spread across surrounding counties such as Liangshan, Wenshang, and Pingyin. After the founding of the People’s Republic, the family workshops producing small stone-ground sesame oil experienced a period of decline. However, since the reform and opening-up, the industry has revived. Currently, there are several businesses in State City engaged in making small stone-ground sesame oil, with an annual production of over ten thousand kilograms.

　　Sesame oil comes from sesame seeds. Sesame, also known as “zhima,” “huma,” or “youma,” is an annual herbaceous plant of the Pedaliaceae family. It thrives in warm climates and is drought-resistant but not tolerant to frost or waterlogging. The entire plant is covered with fine hairs, has an upright stem that is four-sided, and can be either single-stemmed or branched. The leaves vary greatly, growing alternately or oppositely, and come in shapes such as lanceolate, heart-shaped, and oval. The flowers grow singly or in clusters of 2–3 in the leaf axils, are tubular and lip-shaped, and are light purple or white. The fruit is elongated and can have 4, 6, or 8 edges. The flat oval seeds come in white, yellow, brownish-red, or black, have a high oil content, and can be used for oil extraction or in baked goods. In traditional Chinese medicine, black sesame is used medicinally to nourish the liver and kidneys and moisten dryness. The stems, leaves, and flowers can be used to extract aromatic oils.

　　Our county has a long history of planting sesame. According to historical records, it has been widely cultivated since the Han Dynasty. Today, many farmers still prefer to grow sesame, and the county’s total annual yield can reach tens of thousands of kilograms.

　　The oil processed from sesame is called sesame oil. Because of its distinctive fragrance, it is also known as fragrant oil or “xiang you.” Depending on the production method used, although both are sesame oils, they are divided into large-trough oil and small-stone oil, which have noticeably different aromas. Cold dishes mixed with small stone-ground sesame oil have a golden color and rich fragrance; adding a few drops to soups enhances their aroma and freshness.

　　The processing method for small stone-ground sesame oil is as follows: first, remove any impurities from the sesame seeds, then stir-fry them in a large iron wok until they turn a scorched yellow color, after which they are taken out of the wok. Once cooled, the seeds are ground into sesame paste on a stone mill. The sesame paste is then placed in a large iron wok about one meter in diameter, mixed with an appropriate amount of hot water (around 80°C), and stirred vigorously with a sterilized round stick to gradually separate the sesame oil from the paste. At this point, stirring stops, and both hands grip the edge of the wok evenly and rhythmically to shake it, allowing the sesame oil to float to the top of the paste. When a layer of oil has floated up, it is carefully skimmed off the top using a small iron ladle. This is called first-run small stone oil, which has the strongest fragrance and highest quality. Next, more hot water is added, stirred again, and shaken once more to produce what is called second-run small stone oil. In this way, 100 pounds of sesame seeds can yield 50–60 pounds of small stone-ground sesame oil. During the roasting and grinding process, sesamol in the sesame quickly converts into sesamol compound, giving the small stone-ground sesame oil its rich and unique fragrance.

　　Small stone-ground sesame oil is highly nutritious and especially beloved by people. It contains more linoleic acid than peanut oil or rapeseed oil. Linoleic acid is an important unsaturated fatty acid, also known as an essential fatty acid, which the human body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain from edible oils. Since the linoleic acid in small stone-ground sesame oil is unsaturated and has a low melting point, it is more easily digested and absorbed by the body. Small stone-ground sesame oil also contains a relatively high amount of vitamin E, an essential fat-soluble vitamin for the human body that promotes growth and development, boosts immunity, and contributes to longevity.

　　Due to limited sesame cultivation, the production of State City small stone-ground sesame oil is relatively low, and it is mainly sold locally and in the surrounding areas of Wenshang and Liangshan.