“AE-MONO” (dressed dishes) are cold side dishes of ingredients dressed in various seasonings. It is called by the name of the ingredient used as dressing ie. MISO-AE, GOMA (sesame)-AE, KARASHI (mustard)-AE, peanut-AE, etc.
They are great with seafood or any vegetable such as string beans, spinach, zucchini, ENOKI mushroom, sweet potato, okra, etc etc.
It is always nice to toast the sesame seeds and grind them for richer aroma and flavor.  I always prepare double or triple the amount and store the remain in my freezer for future use.  Just toss in any vegetable you have in your fridge and you get a tasty dish in no time! !

+ A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT JAPAN +

GOMA-AE vs GOMA-YOGOSHI
There are two ways to call a sesame dressed dish; “GOMA-AE” and “GOMA YOGOSHI”.
While “GOMA-AE” refers to a dish dressed with white sesame, it changes its name to “GOMA-YOGOSHI” when black sesame is used.  “YOGOSHI” has the meaning of smear or smudge, and so “GOMA-YOGOSHI” means it is smeared with sesame.  How interesting!?

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

1 bunch	broccoli
4tbsp	white or black ground sesame
1tbsp	soy sauce
1tbsp	sugar
1tbsp	water or DASHI broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cook in steamer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and complete the cooking with remaining heat for greener results. (Or, you can always boil them too)
2. Combine ground sesame with soy sauce, sugar and water in a bowl, toss in broccoli and mix thoroughly. 

READY TO COOK ??

You can shop everything you need from below to create the recipe in your kitchen.
You can find the links to the more commonly used, more widely available food ingredients here but if you wish for something organic or more authentic, please refer to “About Ingredients” page.