【二米炊煙】Sesame 拍盡芝麻一生，才懂香油裏的千年古法與萬般滋味

In early summer, sesame seeds were scattered into the soil. Fed by plentiful rain, they grew with astonishing speed, and before long, they burst into bloom. What makes sesame flowers so fascinating is that they do not bloom all at once. Instead, they blossom gradually from the bottom upward, node by node. By the time the flowers below have already set fruit, the ones above are only beginning to open, while the buds at the very top are still young and green. This unique way of growing perfectly reflects the old Chinese saying, “As sesame flowers bloom, they rise higher and higher.”
Sesame ripens in autumn, and by the time the plants have fully dried, winter has already passed. The oil is still made using methods handed down through generations: roasting the seeds, grinding them into paste, pressing out the oil… until, at last, it becomes a single drop of fragrant sesame oil.
From one tiny sesame seed to one drop of sesame oil lies the wisdom of the old ways and the warmth of everyday life through the changing seasons.
Sesame oil, in fact, plays countless subtle but essential roles in everyday Chinese cooking. A few drops are added to finish stir-fries, dress cold dishes, flavor noodles, steamed egg custard, or bowls of wontons.
But for people in Sichuan, the greatest use of sesame oil is probably this: mixing the dipping sauce for hot pot.a

初夏時分，撒了一些芝麻種下
在充足雨水的滋潤下，瘋了般的生長
一轉眼就開花了，有趣的是芝麻花並不是同時開放的
而是從下往上逐節綻放，當下面的花朵已經結果時
上面的花朵才剛剛盛開，而頂端的則仍是青澀的花骨朵
這種生長方式，真是應了“芝麻開花節節高”的俗語
芝麻成熟的時候是秋天，等它晾乾的時候冬天已經過完了
用的是老祖宗傳下來的方法，炒籽，磨醬，墩油.....最後凝成一滴香油
從一粒芝麻，到一滴香油，藏着老古的智慧和四季的人間煙火
其實香油在我們中國人的日常餐飲中有很多的妙用
炒菜起鍋時，拌涼菜，煮麪條，蒸雞蛋羹，下餛飩...總會滴上幾滴
但是對於生活在四川的人來説，香油最大的用處
應該就在吃火鍋時，兑油碟啦！