Sesame allergy when eating abroad

Sesame in 14 languages

The word to look for on menus, allergen charts and labels.

Language	Word	Romanisation
Japanese	ごま / 胡麻	goma
Chinese	芝麻	zhīma
Korean	참깨 / 깨	chamkkae / kkae
Thai	งา	nga
Vietnamese	mè (South) / vừng (North)
Hindi	तिल	til
Arabic	سمسم / طحينة	simsim / ṭaḥīna (tahini)
Turkish	susam / tahin (tahini)
Greek	σουσάμι / ταχίνι	sousámi / tachíni (tahini)
Italian	sesamo
French	sésame
Spanish	sésamo / ajonjolí (Latin America)
Portuguese	sésamo (Portugal) / gergelim (Brazil)
German	Sesam

What counts as sesame

Sesame means the seeds of the sesame plant, white, golden or black, and everything made from them. The big three are the whole seeds scattered on breads and dishes, tahini (a smooth paste of ground seeds) and sesame oil. Japan's labelling guidance names sesame oil, sesame paste and ground sesame as part of the allergen. Whether any sesame oil is acceptable for you is a question for your allergist.

Sesame also travels under other names. Health Canada lists til (the Hindi word), gingelly (the Indian English word, as in gingelly oil), benne and benniseed, sim sim, sesamol, the botanical name Sesamum indicum and tahini, and it names gomasio (Japanese sesame salt) among foods that contain sesame. It also warns that plain "vegetable oil" may include sesame oil. Halva is often made from tahini, and za'atar, the Levantine herb blend, usually includes toasted sesame seeds.

Korean menus raise one more point: perilla (들깨 deulkkae) is a different plant from sesame (참깨 chamkkae), but both are often just called 깨 (kkae), and perilla oil and seeds are used in the same way. If you react to sesame, ask which one a dish contains.

Where sesame hides on menus

Cross-contact is hard to escape with sesame because the seeds are small, loose and everywhere. Bakeries scatter them across shared trays and benches. A burger joint toasts seeded and unseeded buns on the same grill. In Korean, Japanese and Chinese kitchens, a final drizzle of sesame oil or a pinch of seeds is so routine that the cook may add it out of habit even after you've asked, so repeat the request when the dish arrives.

Labelling rules around the world

EU and UK. Sesame seeds are one of the 14 allergens, and restaurants and takeaways must provide the information. In the UK, food made and packed on the premises before you order it, like a café's wrapped sandwiches, used to need no ingredient label at all: staff could simply tell you. Since 1 October 2021, under the rules known as Natasha's Law, it must carry a full ingredient list with allergens emphasised.

US. Sesame is the ninth and newest major food allergen. The FASTER Act made it so from 1 January 2023, adding it to the eight named in FALCPA. Packaged food must declare it in the ingredients or a "Contains" statement; before 2023, sesame could hide inside "spices" or "flavourings". The 2022 FDA Food Code, a model many states adopt, also added sesame to the allergens restaurants should give written notice of, and California's rules for chains with 20 or more locations cover it from 1 July 2026.

Australia and New Zealand. "Sesame" is a required name that must appear in bold in the ingredients and in the "Contains" summary. Restaurant and takeaway food must have the information displayed or available on request.

Canada. Sesame seeds are a priority allergen and must be declared on prepackaged food using the word "sesame"; older names like til or benne aren't allowed on their own. There's no national rule for restaurants.

Japan. Sesame (ごま goma) is only on the recommended list, so packaged food isn't required to flag it, and restaurants aren't required to label any allergens. In a country where sesame dressing, sesame seeds and sesame oil are everyday seasonings, this is the biggest gap a sesame-allergic traveller faces.

How to order with a sesame allergy

1. Say "sesame, including the oil and the seeds". Many cooks don't think of sesame oil as sesame, and many don't think of tahini as an ingredient at all.
2. Ask about dressings, dips, spice blends and bread. Those four cover most of the hidden sesame on any menu.
3. Ask for no garnish, and check before eating. Seeds and a last drizzle of oil go on at the pass.
4. In Japan, don't rely on labels. Because sesame isn't mandatory there, read the full ingredient list (look for ごま or 胡麻) and ask in restaurants.
5. Treat "may contain sesame" seriously. These warnings are voluntary and inconsistent, so the absence of one proves nothing.
6. Carry prescribed adrenaline and follow your doctor's plan.

Middle Eastern, Korean and Japanese menus are the most sesame-dense. In those cuisines, plain grilled meat or fish with rice is usually a better starting point than anything with a sauce, but confirm each time.

Dishes in our glossary that contain sesame

• UsuallyBaba ghanoushMost restaurant versions are blended with tahini (sesame paste).
• UsuallyBibimbapSesame oil and seeds season the vegetables and the finished bowl.
• UsuallyBulgogiSesame oil in the marinade and toasted sesame seeds on top.
• UsuallyDan dan noodlesSesame paste in many versions; sesame oil or seeds in the chilli oil.
• UsuallyFalafelTahini sauce on the sandwich or plate; some falafel are rolled in sesame seeds.
• UsuallyHummusTahini (ground sesame paste) is a core ingredient of standard hummus.
• UsuallyJapchaeSesame oil and toasted sesame seeds are part of the seasoning.
• UsuallySamgyeopsalSesame oil and salt dip (gireumjang); sesame in ssamjang and side dishes.
• OftenChar siuMany hoisin sauces contain sesame paste; some marinades add sesame oil.
• OftenDöner kebabTurkish bread is often topped with sesame seeds; some sauces use tahini.
• OftenGoi CuonMajor hoisin brands contain sesame.
• OftenRamenSesame oil, seeds or paste, heaviest in tantanmen and spicy miso bowls.
• OftenShawarmaTahini sauce (tarator) is standard with beef and lamb shawarma.
• OftenSushiSesame seeds on inside-out rolls and in some sauces and dressings.
• OftenTempuraTokyo-style shops often fry in sesame oil or a blend containing it.
• OftenTonkatsuMany shops give you sesame seeds to grind into the sauce; sesame dressings.
• SometimesBanh MiSesame oil or seeds in some marinades.
• SometimesBanh XeoRoasted sesame in the central-style liver and peanut dip (nước lèo).
• SometimesBiryaniSesame seeds in mirchi ka salan.
• SometimesKibbehSome places serve fried kibbeh with tahini sauce for dipping.
• SometimesKimchi jjigaeSesame oil to fry the kimchi and pork at the start.
• SometimesKormaSesame seeds in some Hyderabadi and home-style nut pastes.
• SometimesKung pao chickenA dash of sesame oil in some sauces.
• SometimesMapo tofuA finishing drizzle of sesame oil in some kitchens.
• SometimesMasala DosaGunpowder (podi) spice mix, sprinkled in podi dosa, often contains sesame.
• SometimesPeking duckSesame buns as a pancake alternative; sesame paste in many hoisin sauces.
• SometimesPhoMajor hoisin brands contain sesame.
• SometimesSpanakopitaSome bakeries sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• SometimesTteokbokkiSesame seeds or oil to finish, and in the soy-based royal court version.
• SometimesXiaolongbaoSesame oil in some fillings.

Questions

Is sesame oil a risk with a sesame allergy?

Toasted sesame oil, the dark aromatic kind used in East Asian cooking, is unrefined and can contain sesame protein. Health Canada lists sesame oil among the foods that contain sesame and warns that a generic 'vegetable oil' may include it. Ask your allergist whether any sesame oil is acceptable for you, and ask restaurants what oil they cook and dress with.

Is tahini the same as sesame?

Yes. Tahini (tahina, tahin) is a paste of ground sesame seeds, and it's the base of hummus, baba ghanoush and many Middle Eastern sauces. Health Canada lists it among the names that signal sesame.

Do Japanese labels have to show sesame?

No. Sesame (ごま goma) is on Japan's recommended list, not the mandatory one, so a packaged food can contain it without saying so in the allergen section. Read the full ingredient list and ask in restaurants, where sesame dressings and seeds are everywhere.

Is perilla the same as sesame?

No. Korean perilla seed (들깨 deulkkae) comes from a different plant from sesame (참깨 chamkkae), though both are often just called 깨 (kkae) and perilla oil is used much like sesame oil. Japan's labelling guidance also treats perilla (エゴマ egoma) as outside 'sesame'. Ask which one a dish contains, and ask your allergist whether perilla matters for you.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Follow the allergy action plan your doctor gave you, and always confirm ingredients with the restaurant.

Sources

1. UK Food Standards Agency: Allergen guidance for food businesses
2. UK Food Standards Agency: Introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food
3. US FDA: Food allergies
4. US FDA: Summary of changes in the 2022 FDA Food Code
5. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Allergen labelling
6. Health Canada: Sesame, a priority food allergen
7. Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan: Food allergy labelling handbook, April 2026 (Japanese)

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.