Oils, Salt, Sugar and Honey · FFET10465
Stone-mill sesame oil
Roasted sesame is slowly stone-ground, and its oil is separated with water for seasoning soups and dishes.
Salt, powdered seasonings, cooking oils and fats, sugar, honey and syrups.
Stone-mill sesame oil is made from roasted sesame, ground in a stone mill and separated with water; it is commonly used to season cold dishes, soups and finished dishes. Daming County in Handan, Hebei, is one place where the craft is practiced, and its sesame oil-making craft entered the fifth batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.
What
Stone-mill sesame oil, also called xiaomo mayou, is made by grinding roasted sesame into a paste and adding water to separate the oil. It is commonly used as a seasoning.1,3
When
Historical writing describes fragrant oil made from roasted sesame, but this does not establish when the stone-mill water-separation method began. The Daming craft entered the fifth batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.1,4
Where
The national heritage listing places the Daming sesame oil-making craft in Daming County, Handan, Hebei. Stone-mill sesame oil is also made elsewhere in China.1,3
How
Sesame seeds are screened, washed and roasted, then slowly ground into a paste in a stone mill. Water is added so the oil rises and can be skimmed off and filtered; this is the water-separation method. The oil can be mixed into cold dishes, added to soups or drizzled over finished dishes.1,3
Why
Its roasted sesame aroma and the use of stone grinding followed by water separation distinguish this oil.4
Impact and influence
At an event in Harbin in August 2025, speakers said Daming produces about 60,000 metric tons of stone-mill sesame oil a year, worth about 2 billion yuan, and that about 7,500 small-mill processors operate nationwide. These are statements made at the event, with no statistical source named.2