Groundnut Oil vs Sesame Oil: Difference and Comparison

With time always running, we humans don’t have the time to look after our health and eat healthy foods; but due to that, we have found an alternative that helps us be fit and healthy to some point, and these alternatives are healthy oils.

A few years back, we didn’t have many options to choose from, but today there is always a big crowd of women standing in a line to pick their favorite healthy oils at supermarkets.

Key Takeaways

1. Groundnut oil is extracted from peanuts and has a mild, nutty flavor, while sesame oil comes from sesame seeds and has a strong, distinctive taste.
2. Groundnut oil has a higher smoke point than sesame oil, making it suitable for high-heat cooking methods like frying.
3. Sesame oil contains more antioxidants and is richer in vitamins and minerals than groundnut oil, offering additional health benefits.

Groundnut Oil vs Sesame Oil

Groundnut oil is mild-flavored and is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It is commonly used in cooking, frying, and baking. Sesame oil has a distinct nutty flavor and is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin K, and fatty acids. It is used in Asian cuisine as a flavor enhancer.

Groundnut oil is quite famous in western cultures as it provides better values at a low price.

It does not have any dominating flavor to it, due to which it is extensively used mainly for frying food, as the oil does not change or absorb the flavors of the dish and has higher smoke points than the others.

Sesame oil is available in two variables that are light and dark oils.

The lighter version of sesame oil is from sesame seeds that are not toasted and are ideal for frying food, whereas the dark oil is made from the toasted sesame seeds and is suitable for Asian dishes as it has a strong flavor.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Groundnut Oil	Sesame Oil
Extracted from	Extracted from Peanuts.	Extracted from Sesame seeds.
Calories per tbsp	119	120
Smoke point	High smoke point.	Low smoke point.
Colour	Light yellow.	Colour ranges from; light pale to dark brown.
Skin benefits	It treats eczema, rashes, and scaly skin and lowers the risk of skin cancer.	It reduces wrinkles, fine lines, and large pores.

What is Groundnut Oil?

Groundnut oil, also known as Peanut oil or Arachis oil, is extracted from Peanuts and is extensively used because of its mild and nutty flavor.

This oil has a high smoke point, and because of this, this oil is used to make fried and baked foods. More than half of the peanut crops grown worldwide are processed to extract groundnut oil.

India, China, and Nigeria are the countries that supply peanuts for extraction purposes.

Many types of groundnut oil are available in the market that is differentiated based on their production. Refined groundnut oil is the most common option among all the oils as it is cheap and has a mild flavor; and is used in salad dressings, pastries, etc.

Experts believe that: using peanut oil does not affect people with peanut allergies as it is processed, which reduces its taste and essence. Cold-pressed peanut oil comes from shelled peanuts, is kept under low temperatures, and dried.

When you keep oil at low temperatures, it preserves some of the benefits of the nutrients. Because of this, people use cold-pressed peanut oil in salads, spreads, cold dishes, etc.

This oil also has more strong flavors than refined groundnut oil. Groundnut oil is said to be a healthy oil as it has some health benefits and has proven to be beneficial for people with heart problems and diabetes.

What is Sesame Oil?

Sesame oil is a vegetable oil extracted from Sesame seeds and is the earliest known vegetable oil and popular in Asian cuisine.

There are a few varieties of sesame oil made using pressed plain seeds or toasted ones, and they are in China, Japan, South India, and other Middle Eastern countries the most.

People use the light sesame oil for cooking while the toasted or dark oil is added to dishes while giving finishing touches. Sesame oil extracted from roasted seeds is also are known as dark, black, or Asian sesame oil.

This variety of oil tends to have a strong aroma and flavor. And as people say, a little goes a long way.

A little touch of sesame oil adds nutty flavors to hot or cold dishes. Dark sesame oil is for cooking food on low to medium heat, but the flavors tend to fade if cooked for a long time.

Another form of sesame oil is extracted from raw seeds and is known as light sesame oil or plain sesame oil.

This oil is suitable for frying and roasting on high heat as light sesame oil does not have any deep strong flavors which can change the actual taste of the dish and blends well with any dish.

Main Differences Between Groundnut Oil and Sesame Oil

1. Groundnut oil is a vegetable oil extracted from Peanuts, whereas sesame oil is also an edible oil extracted from sesame seeds.
2. A tablespoon of groundnut oil provides 119 calories, whereas a tablespoon of sesame oil provides 120 calories.
3. The smoke point of groundnut oil when cooking is higher, whereas the smoke point of sesame oil when cooking is lower than groundnut oil.
4. The color is groundnut oil is light yellow, whereas the color of sesame oil varies from pale yellow, golden to dark brown.
5. Both oils have similar health benefits, but groundnut oil also treats eczema, rashes, and skin cancers, whereas sesame oil is good for reducing wrinkles, line lines, and pores on the face.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021863405801362

Last Updated : 19 July, 2023