Gomashio (or Gomasio) is the secret to give more flavour to almost any dish (including desserts, yes right!). It is a dry condiment with Japanese origin, made out of just two ingredients: sesame seeds and salt.
I love its smoky and rich taste and I always have some home.
Here is the recipe I am usually using, it's from the book "The most important point" by Eward Espe Brown (I highly recommend reading the whole book if you are interested in meditation, zen and cooking 🙏).
GOMASHIO
2 cups brown sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sea salt
In a heavy skillet (cast iron is best), toast the salt until it turns gray. Set it aside.
Toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until they start popping and turn a golden brown. Watch them closely or they will burn. Toward the end, you may find lid useful to keep the seeds from popping out of the pan.
Add the salt back in to heat briefly with the seeds.
After cooling, grind the tossed seeds and salt with mortar and pestle (or with an electric grinder) until the seeds crack open, releasing their oil. The gomashio will be light brown and sandy in texture - the seeds mostly crushed and rich with the aromas of sesame.
Store the gomasio in a tightly closed glass jar and keep it in a cool, dry place. It is typically served in a small bowl with a serving spoon.
Gomashio is also used in the Japanese language to describe a head of hair containing both white and black hair strands that intermingle, similar to the English idiom "salt and pepper".
How to eat gomasio:
on a piece of bread with butter (use organic butter of high quality)
as a garnish for curries, rice, oven potatoes and veggies
bake few pieces of peers, cover them with Haselnussmus and sprinkle some Gomashio on top
Mmmmmm... Enjoy!