Kyoto Yamada Seiyu sesame products
Who doesn’t love sesame? Everyone I’ve spoken to on our tours all go crazy for this (and for yuzu). I first came across
Here are three of my favorite sesame products for the Japanese pantry.
The nerigoma sesame paste on the left is what I use the most. Mix simply with some sugar and soy sauce and then dress cooked vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or spinach with it. If the dressing is thick, add some dashi or water to thin it out. The paste is similar to tahini, but the sesame seeds have been roasted (not raw like in tahini) for a nutty aroma and flavor.
The rayu chili oil in the middle we use for gyōza potstickers. Chili oil, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce dipping sauce.
The toasted sesame oil is used for stir-fries and salad dressings.
http://eng.trip.kyoto.jp/spot/db/yamada-seiyu/ (English)
4 Katsura Tatsumi-cho, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto
075-394-3276
9:00-19:00 (shop)
http://www.henko.co.jp/ (Japanese homepage)
Food Sake Tokyo 
We love using sesame paste for cold noodles. I usually thin it out a bit with a splash of cold water, add some soy sauce, vinegar and oil then toss with the noodles (topping depends on what we have, julienned cucumber and radish of some kind show up often). Sometimes I crush some toasted Szechuan pepper corn and add to it. Garlic is involved somehow from time to time. Great summer time quick dinner.
Yes, great recipe! Never tried it with garlic, will give it a try. Arigato, for the tip!