Flavor Profile: Sesame Soy Sauce Macarons

Before you say it–I haven’t completely lost my mind creating a sesame-soy-sauce macaron flavor (if I did, I’d probably be in Papua New Guinea running a shop that only sells Panda stuffed animals on Tuesday evenings…don’t ask…). This macaron is actually meant as a dessert–and it’s actually good, too (more than good; it’s mouth-wateringly delicious!).

I’ve always been inspired by travel–and I love to see new cultures through my favorite medium: food! One of my favorite dining meccas is Japan–the food is diverse, meticulously created, and beautifully presented (not to mention absolutely delectable!). So when I came up with the sesame soy sauce macaron, I wanted to demonstrate some of this Japanese culinary flare and pay homage to one of my favorite cultural destinations.

The sesame soy sauce macaron isn’t as weird as it sounds–the flavors actually make sense. And I know you’re probably rolling your eyes (and perhaps even calling in for a mental wellness check on me…), but if you think about the base components, the dessert isn’t as weird as it may seem.

Sesame provides a nutty, roasted, unctuous taste that adds depth to the overall macaron. Soy sauce works as a more flavorful salty component; it’s used as the “salted” part of the caramel sauce (nothing strange about salted caramel, now, is there? I mean, unless you were to get it on a taco from Taco Bell or something…does Taco Bell have salted caramel tacos? I’m worried that I’ve put this thought out into the world now…). Together, it’s a nutty, caramelized, salty-sweet blend that’s anything but confusing–it only takes a bite to understand the delicious madness 🙂

I start with a sesame-almond shell (see how I flavor macaron shells). It smells like roasted sesame in the oven (it kinda is, after all!). If you’ve ever had any sesame cookies (they can be found in Asian food stores), it tastes a lot like those! I could eat these alone, but then I’d never have any macarons…and that would be sad…

The next step lies within the creamy fillings…I use two (no surprise, if you’ve been reading this blog enough…)! The inner filling is a silky sesame pastry cream; it tastes like sesame pudding licked by unicorns and used to baptize fairies…it’s amazing, okay? On the outside, I put a fluffy sesame buttercream, flavored with roasted sesame seeds and a touch of sesame oil (I love that stuff!).

The macaron is finished with a drizzling of the soy-sauce caramel and some freshly roasted sesame seeds on top; it adds an eye-catching touch that begs you to just lick it (you know you want to lick the caramel…just do it…). It’s a velvety, toasty, scrumptious little package that you won’t be able to stop eating!

If you’re still not sure, you may as well try it yourself! Order some of these curious delights from Poeme Macarons today and be prepared to change your perspective on what a dessert can be 🙂

To check out more flavor profiles, go here!

Have a sweet day everyone!