Sesame and perilla oils are displayed on a table outside a shop at Jungbu Market in central Seoul. WOO JI-WON Central Seoul's Jungbu Market has long been known for its dried seafood. But these days, one of the market's busiest alleys smells less of anchovies and pollock than of freshly roasted sesame. The nutty aroma leads tourists to family-run oil mills that line “Sesame Oil Alley,” as the area is locally known, where freshly bottled sesame and perilla oils fly off the shelves almost as soon as they're made, having become one of Korea's newest culinary souvenirs. The market's popularity mirrors a broader trend. Outbound shipments of sesame oil reached $6.14 million in the January-to-April period, up 37 percent from a year earlier, with the shipment volume jumping 47.6 percent to 657 tons over the cited period, according to data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. The secret behind their growing appeal lies not only in what's inside the bottle but also in the craftsmanship behind each batch and the nutritional benefits experts say make the oils worth adding to your pantry. A new must-buy souvenir Even on a rainy morning, a line had already formed outside one of the shops along Jungbu Market's Sesame Oil Alley on a recent Tuesday. A line forms outside an oil shop at Jungbu Market on July 21. WOO JI-WON At the end of the queue was a tourist from Japan going by Akari, who said she had come after seeing posts on Instagram. “I'm buying one bottle of sesame oil for myself and another for my mother,” she said. For many foreign visitors, particularly Japanese tourists, the latest must-buy souvenir from Korea has become freshly pressed sesame and perilla oil made from Korean-grown seeds. 알라딘게임예시 “Nine out of 10 customers are Japanese,” said Han Jeong-wan, a merchant who has operated one of the alley's oil shops for 20 years. “The alley is busiest from Friday through Monday, usually between 8 and 9 a.m.” Former AKB48 member Rino Sashihara introduces Korean sesame oil on her YouTube channel. SCREEN CAPTURE Visitor numbers began climbing rapidly late last year, according to shop owners, after Rino Sashihara, a former member of the J-pop group AKB48, featured Korean sesame oil on her YouTube channel, praising its rich aroma and flavor. Soon afterward, Japanese model and influencer Haruna Kojima visited one of Jungbu Market's oil shops, where she introduced viewers to the oil-making process. Their videos were followed by posts from other Japanese YouTubers and influencers, bringing crowds not only to the featured shop but to neighboring stores as well. Today, nearly all the shops along the alley have signs in Japanese and Japanese-speaking staff standing beside shelves lined with bottles. Sesame and perilla oil are equally popular among visitors, according to shop owners. “Sometimes they buy 10 or 15 bottles at a time,” said Kim Jeong-hee, who operates a more-than-35 -year-old oil mill with her husband Park Soon-young. “Some customers come once a month just for these oils.” Why Korean oil? Sesame and perilla oil are hardly unique to Korea, as both are used in East Asia, although sesame oil is far more widely used than perilla oil. So why are visitors traveling to Seoul? Freshness. Many shops in Jungbu Market roast and press the seeds several times a day, allowing customers to taste oil that was made only hours, or even minutes, earlier. 야마토게임하기 The process behind a bottle of sesame oil begins with cleaning sacks of sesame seeds thoroughly. “We clean the seeds all by hand,” said Park, who is mainly in charge of making oils. Once dried, the seeds are poured into a large roasting machine. Park Soon-young pours seeds inside a roasting machine. WOO JI-WON “Roasting is the most important step,” said Park. “It took me years of adjusting the temperature before I found the flavor I wanted. That is why if there are 10 shops here, there are 10 different flavors.” Lightly roasted sesame seeds typically produce a cleaner oil that retains more of the seeds' natural flavor, while dark-roasted seeds yield a richer, deeper nutty flavor and a more pronounced aroma. Roasting, however, is an art in and of itself, as excessive heat can lead to charring. Roasted seeds come out of the machine. WOO JI-WON The roasted sesame seeds are transferred to a press. WOO JI-WON Once roasted, the seeds cannot go straight into the press. They are first dumped out into a plastic box, allowing excess heat and smoke to dissipate. If the seeds are still too hot, pressure can build inside the press, making the process unstable. Once the seeds are just warm, they are then poured into the steel press. The machine slowly compresses them, gradually building pressure to 600 kilograms-force per square centimeter (8,534 pounds per square inch), and the store is soon filled with a nutty aroma. From roasting to pressing, the entire process takes about 30 minutes and yields around 10 standard 350-milliliter (11.8-ounce) bottles of sesame oil, or just six bottles of perilla oil, from a bucket of seeds weighing about 9 to 10 kilograms (20 to 22 pounds). 모바일 릴게임 다운로드 Kim repeats the process almost continuously from the moment he opens his shop at 8 a.m. until closing at 5 p.m., producing around 100 bottles of sesame oil a day. Sesame seeds are pressed to extract the oil. WOO JI-WON “They all sell out on the day they're made,” Park said. A 100-milliliter bottle of perilla oil costs 7,000  won ($5), while the same amount of sesame oil costs 8,000 won. While roasting temperature plays a key role in determining the flavor, Park said the final result also depends on conditions outside the workshop. “On cloudy days, the nutty aroma becomes deeper,” Kim said. “On sunny days, it's a little lighter.” Seeds tend to absorb moisture from the air, so higher humidity can subtly alter roasting and the resulting aroma. Freshly-extracted perilla oils WOO JI-WON Freshness isn't the only reason the market's popularity has exploded. Han said oils made with Korean seeds generally have a stronger aroma and a cleaner finish than imported varieties. “Visitors are always surprised by the Korean oils' aroma,” Han said. “Many say it feels like tasting sesame and perilla oil for the first time.” Choosing and using a good bottle To find a good bottle, Han recommends paying close attention to the oil's color. Oils pressed at lower temperatures tend to be lighter in color, preserving more of the seeds' natural nutrients and flavor. Higher-temperature pressing, by contrast, often produces a darker, cloudier oil and may release undesirable compounds. Kim said good sesame oil should finish with a slight bitterness. Freshly bottled oils are arranged on a table. WOO JI-WON 모바일 야마토사이트 “A little bitterness at the end isn't a bad thing,” she said. “When you cook it with the dish, that bitterness disappears and leaves behind a rich, nutty flavor.” Try a spoonful before you buy — nearly every shop offers free tastings. While many visitors first come for the flavor, some arrive after hearing about the oils' health benefits, Kim said. Both sesame oil and perilla oil are rich in unsaturated fats, but they offer different nutritional strengths. Sesame oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants such as sesamin and vitamin E, while perilla oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Travel-sized bottles of sesame and perilla oil are packaged for tourists. WOO JI-WON Because the body cannot produce either omega-3 or omega-6 on its own, both must be obtained through food, making sesame and perilla oil valuable additions to a balanced diet, according to Kim Hyeong-mi, adjunct professor at Yonsei University's Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences and the head of the research institute at the domestic food tech company Medisola. The professor emphasized that maintaining a healthy balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is important. However, she said that while modern diets already provide plenty of omega-6 through fried and processed foods and commonly used cooking oils such as grapeseed oil, obtaining enough omega-3 can be more difficult. As a result, she recommends incorporating more perilla oil into the diet. “When that balance of [omega-3 and omega-6] is disrupted, it can induce inflammation in the body,” she said. Prof. Kim further highlighted perilla oil's exceptional nutritional value. Visitors sample sesame and perilla oils at an oil shop. WOO JI-WON 바다 스팀 게임 “Perilla oil is one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3,” she said. “I think perilla oil is truly a blessing in Korea. There are very few plant-based oils in the world that are naturally rich in omega-3.” Rather than consuming large amounts at once, the professor recommends having a small amount of perilla oil consistently. “Eating one or two teaspoons every day is much more beneficial than consuming a large amount occasionally,” she said, also recommending oil made from unroasted seeds, as it retains more nutrients, although it has a milder, less nutty flavor. For those wondering how to incorporate it into their diet, Prof. Kim said perilla oil's nutty, earthy flavor pairs particularly well with many traditional Korean dishes, especially seasoned vegetables. Perilla and sesame oils WOO JI-WON It can also be enjoyed in simple everyday meals. Try drizzling perilla oil over warm tofu with a spoon of soy sauce to bring out its rich flavor. A few drops over freshly cooked rice, a traditional way to enjoy it in Korea, paired with roasted gim (seaweed), also make for a simple but satisfying meal. Perilla oil also goes well with mushrooms, as its nutty aroma complements their earthy flavor. Shop owner Kim Jeong-hee recommends drizzling sesame oil over salads, pairing with natto (fermented soybeans) or buckwheat noodles. It also pairs well with bibimbap; add a spoonful just before mixing to bring out its rich, nutty aroma. Brush a light coating over freshly rolled gimbap (seaweed rice roll) for extra fragrance, or mix it with a pinch of salt for a simple dipping sauce for grilled meat. Proper storage is also essential. Prof. Kim recommends keeping oil in a dark bottle, storing it in the refrigerator and consuming it while it's still fresh instead of buying it in bulk. BY WOO JI-WON [] l valuable