Sesame oil chicken
 | |
| Course | Dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Main ingredients | chicken, sesame oil, rice wine, ginger |
| Sesame oil chicken | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 麻油雞 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Sesame oil chicken | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Sesame oil chicken (Chinese: 麻油雞; Tongyong Pinyin: má yóu jī; Tâi-lô: muâ-iû-kue) is a traditional Taiwanese dish made by cooking chicken with sesame oil, rice wine, and ginger. The dish has a long history in Taiwanese food culture and is widely consumed during colder seasons.[1] It is also traditionally served to women during postpartum confinement, due to its perceived warming properties, high protein content, and relatively low cost. Over time, it has also become a popular everyday dish and a representative example of Taiwanese home-style cooking as well as a national specialty.[2]
Ingredients
The essential ingredients of sesame oil chicken are: chicken, rice wine, ginger and sesame oil. Additional ingredients may include glutinous rice, red dates, goji berries, and Angelica sinensis. Common seasonings may include MSG and rock sugar.
Preparation
The chicken is typically cut into pieces, blanched to remove blood and impurities, then rinsed and excess fat removed. Ginger slices are stir-fried in sesame oil over high heat until aromatic. The chicken is then added, followed by rice wine and water to cover the ingredients. The mixture is brought to a boil and simmered over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes. Rice wine used in the dish does not usually evaporate completely during cooking, resulting in a noticeable alcohol content in the final dish. To reduce alcohol levels, longer cooking times or reduced amounts of rice wine may be used.[3]
Since rice wine is a primary ingredient and is not fully evaporated during standard cooking, sesame oil chicken may contain alcohol levels that exceed recommended intake limits for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children, or legal driving thresholds.[4]
Health considerations
In traditional Taiwanese herbology concepts, sesame oil chicken is considered a "warming" (熱補) dish. Heated sesame oil, ginger, and rice wine are all regarded as warming ingredients, and the dish is traditionally recommended for individuals with cold or deficient constitutions.[5]
Conversely, individuals with heat-related conditions—such as fever, inflammation, or colds—are often advised to avoid consuming sesame oil chicken. It is also commonly believed that the dish may be unsuitable during menstruation or pregnancy due to its warming properties, though individuals with cold-type symptoms such as low menstrual flow or menstrual pain may still consume it.[6]
During cooking, high-temperature heating of sesame oil may cause carbonization, which can produce compounds associated with adverse reactions such as skin irritation or inflammatory symptoms.[7]
Taiwan Sesame Oil Chicken Festival
The Taiwan Sesame Oil Chicken Festival (or "MayoG Festival") was a past promotional event, notably held around 2008 to celebrate this traditional, nourishing winter dish, with events featuring free servings of the savory, ginger-infused chicken stew.[8]
See also
References
- ^ 賴欣平 (10 January 2022). "薑母鴨、麻油雞暖冬補身？ 「這類人」吃了如火上加油". Health News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "麻油雞──從產婦月子補湯到全民美食". iSee Taiwan Foundation (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "健康網》麻油其實不溫燥 中醫：加了「它們」才變熱性麻油雞". Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 13 October 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ 蘇湘雲 (12 December 2023). "麻油雞用「麻油煸薑」恐傷身！譚敦慈：麻油「這時間」再下鍋才安全". United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ 郭家和 (9 January 2025). "麻油雞、薑母鴨「6種人不適合」！補過頭症狀曝 醫示警". ETtoday (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ 王若桐 (19 November 2023). "米酒頭煮麻油雞，煮到燒起來！內行人曝1招好吃又安全". The Storm Media (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "你身體正在「發炎」嗎？ 麻油進補請止步". Commonhealth Magazine (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 19 December 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Lu, Meggie (7 April 2008). "Taiwan Sesame Oil Chicken Festival cooks up a feast". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
