Easy Sesame Paste Substitute

Don’t live near a Chinese supermarket? If you normally use peanut butter when a Chinese recipe calls for sesame paste, next time try thinning it with a bit of Asian sesame oil. Made with toasted sesame seeds, Asian sesame oil is available in the international or ethnic section of many Asian supermarkets. I find that 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil works well with 4 teaspoons peanut butter. Give it a try next time!

For those with peanut allergies, soynut butter mixed with a bit of Asian sesame oil is another option. While the flavor of soynut butter won’t exactly match peanut butter, several readers have recommended the I.M. Healthy brand as coming very close.

Recipe using Chinese Sesame Paste: