What is the difference between ma you (sesame oil) and xiang you (fragrant sesame oil)? What are their effects and benefits?
Ma you is sesame oil; generally black sesame is eaten, and white sesame is pressed for oil. It is a fatty oil extracted from the seeds of the sesame plant of the Pedaliaceae family, also known as hu ma, you ma, ju sheng, zhi ma, xiang you, and so on. Many people want to know what the difference is between ma you and xiang you? What are its effects and benefits? In fact, xiang you and ma you are the same thing; both are alternative names for sesame oil. However, they still differ slightly in aroma and processing method.
1. What is the difference between ma you and xiang you
1. Xiang you: It has a rich or pronounced sesame oil aroma. According to its processing method, it is divided into the following two types: small mill xiang you: ground with a small stone mill and produced by the water extraction method; machine-made xiang you: produced by a mechanical method.
2. Ma you: The aroma is light. It is processed and produced by the general pressing method, solvent extraction method, or other methods.
3. There is also a so-called “ma you”, which is Sichuan pepper oil, because after eating it your tongue feels numb.
4. The ma you that southerners often eat is pure sesame oil, called small mill ma you. When eating wontons or dumplings, just a few drops make it very fragrant; you cannot add too much, and it is not used for stir-frying.
2. The effects and benefits of ma you and xiang you
1. Delay aging: Pure ma you is rich in vitamin E and has the function of promoting cell division and delaying aging.
2. Protect blood vessels: Pure ma you contains very rich unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid and palmitic acid, which are easily broken down, absorbed, and utilized by the human body to promote cholesterol metabolism and help eliminate deposits on arterial vessel walls.
3. Moisten the intestines and relieve constipation: Patients with habitual constipation can drink a mouthful of pure ma you on an empty stomach in the morning and evening to moisten the intestines and relieve constipation.
4. Reduce the harm of smoking and alcohol: People who smoke and drink regularly can often drink a little pure ma you, which can reduce the direct irritation and damage of smoke to the teeth, gums, and oral mucosa, as well as the formation of lung smoke spots, and also has a relative inhibitory effect on the absorption of nicotine. Drinking a little pure ma you before drinking alcohol has a certain protective effect on the oral cavity, esophagus, gastric cardia, and gastric mucosa.
5. Protect the voice: Often drinking pure ma you can enhance the elasticity of the vocal cords and make the glottis open and close flexibly and powerfully, and it has a good restorative effect on hoarseness and chronic pharyngitis.
6. Treat rhinitis: Patients with chronic rhinitis can dip a sterile cotton ball in xiang you and apply it to the affected area in the nasal cavity, which has a very good effect.
Appendix: Identification methods
First, look
Small mill xiang you is processed at a low temperature, so its color is generally brownish red, while machine-made xiang you is processed at a temperature as high as 245°C, so its color is darker, appearing a dull purplish red.
Second, smell
Small mill xiang you has a fresh, pure sesame oil aroma——rich and mellow. Machine-made xiang you has a relatively strong burnt and scorched smell.
Third, shake
Take a bottle of small mill xiang you and shake it vigorously for about 1 minute, then place the bottle upright and observe the upper surface of the oil: the surface of small mill xiang you will have a layer of foam and bubbles, but they quickly disappear; the surface of machine-made xiang you will have a lot of yellow foam that does not disappear for a long time.