In the early 2000s, when Tomoko Yagi and her husband went to the movies in New York, Mrs. Yagi couldn’t find anywhere she could hang out afterward with a nice cup of tea and dessert. Back in her native Japan, she could go to the ubiquitous wagashi (Japanese dessert) cafes that serve not-too-sweet confections such as anmitsu based on fresh fruit and jelly or shaved ice kakigÅri in a beautiful pot. green tea.
Therefore, in 2004, Ms. Yagi opened her Japanese teahouse, Cha-An, in the East Village. For the next two decades, the laid-back spot became a mecca for anyone who wanted to stay the night, but not for a drink at a bar.
From the beginning, she was the star of Ms. Yagi’s menu black sesame creme brulee. Deep, almost peanut buttery black sesame underpins its nuances: a dark cream base shielded beneath a thin crust of sugar that crumbles under the tap of a metal spoon, a scoop of black sesame ice cream sitting on top, a lacy cookie wheel wedged inside of. All this complexity comes in a small but powerful package.
You don’t have to go to a Japanese tea house in Manhattan to experience the wonders of black sesame, although it couldn’t hurt. Where white sesame has a nutty flavor, rich with just a hint of softness, “black sesame has a bitterness,” Ms. Yagi said through her interpreter. The sugar balances that intense, bittersweet bite, covering the flavors beyond the sweetness.
In Rice Krispies treats, for example, the sugary marshmallows benefit from this foil. The occasional nibble of a black sesame seed between bites of buttery marshmallow and crunchy cereal lets you appreciate the balancing act of black sesame seeds and sugar, dark and light. Jars of black onyx seeds are readily available in most grocery stores in the United States and can be a secret weapon in dessert making.
“I don’t see black sesame as a trend,” said her Hannah Bae Noona’s Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Although she black sesame pint has been one of her most popular flavors since she started her business in 2016, she sees its appeal as timeless, simple yet complex with an “underlying kind of hush, hush,” both in terms of the charcoal-colored ink and view of its bittersweet taste. taste seductive, like chocolate. “In my eyes, it’s a classic.”
In the early days of her business, Ms. Bae roasted and then ground black sesame herself, bringing out the seeds’ (and essential oils) more mysterious properties. But like many other commercial bakers, he now uses black sesame paste, a product that effortlessly delivers serious black sesame flavor.
In these Rice Krispies treats, you fry black sesame seeds in brown nut butter to toast them, then flavor them with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, which creates an aromatic flavor with a bold, savory sesame flavor. Toasted sesame oil, like vanilla extract, adds flavor without bulk, and in this recipe, it also helps prevent them from sticking to the pan.
Stored in an airtight container, these salty-sweet treats stay soft and chewy for days. But if you’re feeling double the nostalgia, you can tear a few squares into a bowl and pour the milk over to be enjoyed as a cereal. It’s the perfect end to any day: sweet, but not too sweet.