Kuki

Craft Sesame Oil, manufactured using refined techniques for over 130 years.

Kuki was founded in 1886, when Monshichi Kuki started pressing sesame oil in Yokkaichi city, Mie Prefecture with an oil machine he acquired from the British. He applied the “continuous pressing method”, making Kuki the first company in Japan to apply this particular type of manufacturing process for the production of premium sesame oil. For over a hundred years, Kuki has consistently preserved the same unchanged traditional methods and craftsmanship as it was at the time of foundation and continues to make the highest quality products with perfect flavor and aroma.

The Continuous Pressing Method

There is a firm reason Kuki has not changed their fundamental method of manufacturing sesame oil since the establishment in 1886. The manufacturing process begins with a strict quality inspection of raw ingredients, then proceed to compress these ingredients by the “continuous pressing method” which does not use any chemicals in order to extract the fragrant sesame oil. Afterwards, the oil is placed in a tank where it remains still for about two weeks. It is then repeatedly filtered with cloth and filter paper again and again. This entire process takes about one and a half months from start to finish. The traditional compression method takes time and effort, but it is the only method to create the highest quality sesame oil and the resulting flavor will be completely different from oils made with any other process.

Location

Kuki is based in Yokkaichi City located in northern region of Mie prefecture, between Nagoya and the Ise Grand Shrine. Situated in the central part of Japan, Kuki works closely with domestic farmers as well as imports fair-trade sesame from Nicaragua and Guatemala.