Step 1

Toast the sesame seeds in a medium pan by stirring at low heat for almost 6-8 minutes. When they are golden brown and give off their fragrance, immediately remove the pan from the heat as they can pop and jump out of the pan like popcorns. They can also easily burn with the heat of the pan. Set aside. Alternatively, you can toast them in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet at 350°F(177°C) until they are golden brown and give off their fragrance.

Step 2

Place the sugar in a big pan and let it melt at med-low heat. Don’t stir but swirl the pan to avoid crystallization. When some parts of the sugar melt and become liquid and some parts don’t melt, use a long heat proof spatula and put the melted sugar on top of unmelted sugar. This step helps melted sugar not to burn but unmelted sugar to melt. Swirl the pan and if there are still some unmelted pieces, start stirring, they will melt shortly.

Step 3

As the sugar melts and turns to amber color, remove the pan from the heat immediately and add the toasted sesame seeds and stir. Make sure sesame seeds are mixed with melted sugar evenly. After they all mixed, place the caramelized sesame seeds on to a parchment paper and spread it with a spatula. Be careful as the mixture is very hot. Put another parchment paper on top of the caramelized sesame seeds and level it with a rolling pin. Cut into pieces as you like with a sharp knife while it is still warm.