June 2022: Small-Mill Sesame Oil, White Pepper and Zongzi

It took us years to find a Chinese roasted sesame oil that we loved enough to import, but finally we found it.

Cuizi Small-Mill Sesame Oil (Cuizi Xiaomo Xiangyou ) comes from Shandong, the home of China's best sesame products, and has inherited a 600-year history of producing sesame oil in a very specific way for superior color, fragrance and taste:

• The company developed its own sesame cultivar and has a planting base in an area certified by China's Green Food program as pollution-free. Rather than using just-harvested seeds, it germinates them slightly to promote the production of highly nutritious natural antioxidants such as sesamolin, sesamin and sesamol
• The highly roasted sesame embryos are ground by small stone mills at low pressure and low temperature, about 140°F, so as to not destroy the aromatic substances and functional nutrients in the sesame oil. (Large-scale oil extraction in metal equipment uses high pressure and temperatures as high as 500°F)
• The sesame oil is then separated from the sesame solids by a natural, water replacement method versus the chemicals used in standard production
• Finally, the oil is filtered through a patented technology that uses natural plant fibers for 36 layers of physical filtration to remove any impurities

As scientific as some of this sounds, the basic process is attributed to one Cui Zeshi, who invented the water replacement method in 1408, hence the brand name of Cuizi. The Ruifu Oil Co. picked up the mantle and process in 1984 and carries the China Time-Honored Brand designation for the traditional technique of Cuizi sesame oil, which is also recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Shandong Province. Ruifu makes only sesame products, a focus that allows it to produce the very best. 

These fermented white peppercorns are a product of Qionghai, on tropical Hainan Island, the famed source of China's best white pepper. (If we can't visit its lovely beaches, at least we can eat its pepper!)

Used widely in Chinese cuisines, this hot and funky white pepper is a must-have ingredient for Cantonese food and makes frequent appearances in American Chinese dishes as well. This large grinder (twice the size of other brands) holds 4 ounces.

Look what's back in stock! After a long absence due to manufacturing issues, Blank Slate Kitchen's Sichuan Chili Oil is waiting for you. We know many of you have been waiting for it!