Food · Fermented foods

Goma (Sesame Seeds)

ごま (Goma)

Also known as: Goma, Sesame seeds, Sesamum indicum, 胡麻, 白ごま (shiro-goma, white sesame), 黒ごま (kuro-goma, black sesame), 金ごま (kin-goma, golden sesame), Suri-goma (ground sesame)

Looking for a Japanese supplier of Goma (Sesame Seeds)? Tell us

At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	ごま
Common Japanese notations	ごま, 胡麻, ゴマ, 白ごま, 黒ごま, 金ごま, 練りごま
Origin	Sesame (Sesamum indicum); cultivated globally; Japan domestic production is essentially zero (>99% imported, principally from Africa, India, China, Latin America); domestic sesame oil refining and traditional sesame product manufacturing are major established industries (Kadoya, Takemoto Goma, Iwai, Kuki Sangyo, Mitsuhashi)
Typical functions	Suri-goma (ground sesame) — household and foodservice condiment ingredient, Sesame oil (gomayu / sesame oil — see separate sesame-oil glossary entry), Sesame paste / nerigoma (練りごま) — traditional Japanese ingredient and emerging tahini analog, Sesame-coated and sesame-encrusted snacks and confectionery, Furikake and seasoning blend ingredient, Health-positioning functional food (sesamin / sesame lignans for cholesterol and antioxidant claims)
Regulatory status in Japan	Sesame is a JAS recommended-disclosure allergen — though not in the mandatory category, oral allergy syndrome and severe sesame allergy reactions are documented (and increasingly recognized globally), and disclosure is the standard practice for processed products. Origin disclosure (imported origin: African / Indian / Chinese / Latin American) is increasingly important for premium positioning. Multiple FFC registrations exist for sesamin-positioned products (cholesterol moderation, antioxidant claims). 'Wa-goma' (和ごま) terminology refers to Japan-domestic-grown sesame, which is rare and ultra-premium.

Goma (ごま / 胡麻) — sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) — is one of Japan's foundational seasoning and ingredient categories with massive volume across multiple OEM positions: as suri-goma (ground sesame) for daily Japanese household and foodservice cooking, as sesame oil (gomayu, see separate sesame-oil entry), as sesame paste (nerigoma) for traditional Japanese cuisine and emerging tahini-positioned applications, as sesame-coated and sesame-encrusted snacks and confectionery (sesame mochi, goma-dango, kuro-goma yokan, kuro-goma ice cream), as a furikake and seasoning blend ingredient, and as a sesamin / sesame lignan functional food and supplement category (multiple FFC registrations for cholesterol moderation and antioxidant positioning). Three principal varieties — shiro-goma (white sesame, the volume cultivar for most applications), kuro-goma (black sesame, with distinctive flavor and visual appeal, often premium-positioned), and kin-goma (golden sesame, premium specialty) — serve different positioning needs. **Critical: Japan domestic sesame production is essentially zero (>99% imported)** — major industries (Kadoya for sesame oil, Takemoto Goma and Iwai for sesame products) handle imported sesame at scale. 'Wa-goma' (Japanese-origin sesame) is rare and ultra-premium when authentic. **Sesame allergen disclosure** is increasingly important — sesame is a JAS recommended-disclosure allergen and EU-mandatory allergen.

Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Plant-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Whole sesame seeds — white, black, golden retail packs
Roasted sesame (irigoma 煎りごま) — major retail and ingredient format
Ground sesame (suri-goma すりごま) — convenience format
Sesame paste / nerigoma — for industrial confectionery and Japanese-style sauces
Sesame-coated wagashi and snacks (goma-dango, kuro-goma yokan, sesame mochi)
Sesamin functional supplements (FFC registered)

What it is

Goma is Sesamum indicum, with three principal Japanese commercial varieties: (1) Shiro-goma (白ごま, white sesame) — the volume variety, off-white to pale yellow, mild flavor. Suitable for most applications. (2) Kuro-goma (黒ごま, black sesame) — black-colored with distinctive aromatic flavor, used both for visual appeal (kuro-goma furikake, kuro-goma manju, kuro-goma ice cream) and functional positioning (the dark color is associated with anti-aging in traditional Asian thinking). (3) Kin-goma (金ごま, golden sesame) — golden-colored premium specialty, often Japanese-origin or specific premium imported (Egyptian sesame is famous for this), exceptional aromatic flavor and visible-grain appeal in finished products.

Nutritionally, dry whole sesame (varying by variety) per 100g provides ~600 kcal, 19.8g protein, 53.8g fat (the high oil content is the basis for sesame oil production), 18.5g carbohydrates with 10.8g dietary fiber. Mineral content includes Ca 1200mg (very high), Mg 360mg, P 540mg, Fe 9.6mg, Zn 5.5mg per 100g. Sesamin (the principal lignan) is 0.4-0.7g per 100g — the basis for FFC functional positioning.

Industrial supply: Japan domestic production is essentially zero (>99% imported). Major sources: African (Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burkina Faso for general supply), Indian (Tamil Nadu, Gujarat — significant share of Japanese imports), Chinese (Shandong, Henan), Latin American (Mexico, Paraguay, Guatemala). Japanese major producers (Kadoya, Takemoto Goma, Iwai, Kuki Sangyo, Mitsuhashi) handle imported sesame at scale through cleaning, roasting, milling, and value-added processing.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Suri-goma (ground sesame) — household and foodservice condiment ingredient. Used as topping for goma-tofu, goma-dofu, salads (sesame dressings), simmered vegetables, and Japanese cuisine broadly. Volume retail category.

Sesame oil (gomayu) — see separate sesame-oil glossary entry. Major industrial category.

Sesame paste / nerigoma — traditional Japanese cooking ingredient (gomadare for shabu-shabu, dressings) and emerging tahini-positioned product for Mediterranean-influenced Japanese cuisine.

Sesame-encrusted and sesame-coated foods — goma-dango (sesame mochi), goma-mochi, sesame-coated tempura, sesame-coated chicken, sesame-encrusted bread (notably bagels and Japanese-style buns).

Wagashi with sesame — kuro-goma yokan, kuro-goma manju, kuro-goma kitsune, kuro-goma ice cream, kuro-goma pudding — major established sesame-confectionery category. Major brand example: Glico Goma-Goma (kuro-goma snack pretzel).

Furikake and seasoning blends — sesame is a major furikake ingredient (Marumiya, Mishima Foods, Tanaka furikake products feature sesame heavily).

Sesamin functional supplements — Suntory Wellness Sesamin EX is the volume leader in Japan (multi-billion yen retail category). Multiple FFC products positioned for cholesterol moderation and antioxidant claims.

For OEM: roasted sesame (white, black, golden) retail and ingredient supply, ground sesame (suri-goma) household retail packs, sesame paste (nerigoma) for industrial and retail use, sesame-coated wagashi and confectionery production OEM, kuro-goma ice cream and frozen dessert OEM, furikake production with sesame ingredient supply, and sesamin functional supplement OEM.

Regulatory classification in Japan

**Sesame is a JAS recommended-disclosure allergen.** While not in the strict-mandatory category, sesame allergy reactions are documented and disclosure is the standard practice for processed products.

Origin disclosure: imported origin (African / Indian / Chinese / Latin American) is increasingly important for premium positioning.

'Wa-goma' (和ごま, Japan-domestic) terminology should be used only for genuinely Japan-grown sesame — extremely rare and ultra-premium.

FFC (Foods with Function Claims): multiple sesamin and sesame-lignan registrations exist for cholesterol moderation and antioxidant claims.

Sesame oil regulatory status: see separate sesame-oil glossary entry.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Sesame is an EU-mandatory allergen requiring disclosure on all processed food labels. This is more strict than Japanese JAS recommended-disclosure status.
USA	Sesame became the 9th US Big-9 mandatory allergen on January 1, 2023 under the FASTER Act. All US food products containing sesame must declare this allergen. This is critical for US export.
China	Imported under GACC rules. China is itself a major sesame producer. Japanese-origin processed sesame products (sesame oil, kuro-goma confectionery) positioned as premium specialty.
Korea	Imported as Japanese specialty processed sesame. Korea has its own deeppung-yu (참기름) sesame oil tradition. Japanese kuro-goma products and processed sesame positioned as specialty.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of variety (white / black / golden), origin (imported source — required disclosure), processing format (whole / roasted / ground / paste), and target application.

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

FAQ for OEM buyers

Q. What are the critical OEM compliance considerations for sesame allergen handling, especially for export?

Sesame allergen handling has become substantially more critical for OEM compliance, particularly for export, since 2023: (1) Japan JAS recommended-disclosure status — disclosure is the standard practice for processed products, even though not in the strict-mandatory category. (2) **EU mandatory allergen** — sesame is one of the EU-recognized allergens requiring disclosure on all processed food labels. EU export OEM must include sesame in allergen statements. (3) **US Big-9 mandatory allergen since January 1, 2023** — under the FASTER Act, sesame became the 9th US mandatory allergen, joining peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soybeans, and wheat. All US food products containing sesame must declare this allergen prominently. This affects all US exports. (4) Cross-contamination control — sesame seeds are small and fine, easily creating cross-contamination in shared production lines. Allergen control plans must address sesame specifically. For OEM facilities producing for both Japanese domestic and US/EU export: comprehensive allergen control programs, dedicated sesame production lines where possible, validated cleaning procedures, and explicit sesame disclosure on all product labels are now essential. Products previously launched without sesame allergen disclosure may require label updates and cross-contamination assessment for continued export viability.

Sources · Last reviewed: 2026-04-28

FDA FASTER Act 2023 sesame allergen rule
EU food information regulation sesame allergen requirements
Consumer Affairs Agency JAS allergen guidelines

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — ごま各形態
Consumer Affairs Agency FFC database — sesamin registrations
FDA FASTER Act sesame allergen rule (2023)
Japan Sesame Industry Association reference

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.