Can you make vegan cheese from sesame seeds? In my first “Will Sesame Tofu” test, the tofu turned out bitter. But the tofu had potential so I tried it again with new sesame seeds. But that time, it formed a mix of creamy curds alongside curds surprisingly close to mozzarella. So this time, I let it become what it wanted.
Will Sesame Cheese? Video
The Experiment: From Sesame Seeds to Cheese?
I started with the remaining sesame seeds (mix of conventional and organic); 613 grams of hulled white sesame seeds, soaked overnight, blended and strained to make pulp-free fresh sesame milk.
Instead of cooking it immediately, I let the milk rest in the fridge to naturally separate into layers — something I’ve done before when making tofu from other plant milks. Remember the two-toned green peafu experiment?
By morning, the sesame milk had split into:
- A more watery top layer
- A denser, creamier opaque layer
So I separated them and cooked them individually.
Watery Layer Results
Unlike the green pea milk’s watery layer, no curds formed! I was a little surprised as it was milky looking; like it still had something to give. At the end, after I had already added calcium sulfate and vinegar, all we had left was bitter, slightly sour watery liquid. I was surprised it was bitter as the seeds were not tasting bitter to begin with.
Creamy Layer Results
So I went on to cook the creamy milk. This time, it behaved similarly to the previous batches of sesame milk. It started showing signed of coagulation at 170°F, was in full swing at 190°F and the the curds started to stick together to form larger curds during boiling. I boiled it for 10 full minutes before draining the whey from the curds.
The texture was get again different! There were less long stretchy strands of curds. Instead, they adhered together in a more sticky fashion. The texture of the hot curds was more like egg-white than tofu or cheese. There was some meaty strands throughout (similar to hempfu and pumfu) as well.
The flavor was mild though distinctly sesame with a hint of bitterness.
More bitterness was in the whey; but not unpleasantly strong.
Not knowing exactly what to do when them, I mixed up a light salt brine, added a bit of vinegar and submerged the fresh sesame curds.
Chilled Brined Fresh Sesame Curds
Over the next few months, ever time I passed the fridge I would do a little taste test. The texture and taste improved! It was denser and nicely seasoned from the salt and vinegar. Did not taste bitter anymore. Actually, it reminded me of fresh bocconcini but with a bit more savory taste, sesame flavor and meatier bite.
Experiment Notes
For those who like the technical details:
- Seeds used: Hulled white sesame (conventional + organic)
- Starting weight (dry): 613 g
- Post-soak weight: ~1 kg
- Blending : 30 seconds per half batch with about double the volume of water, high speed in Vitamix
- Milk yield: ~2.4–2.5 liters
- Resting time before cooking: ~14 hours
- Brine: Approx. 36 oz water, several tablespoons salt, ~1 tbsp vinegar
Important note: I did not record the exact brine concentration (I’m quite disappointed in past me). I’ll be repeating this experiment to dial in consistent ratios before publishing a finalized recipe.
