Our History and Heritage

In 1938, Mr. Oh Kim An established Oh Aik Guan, Singapore's oldest sesame oil manufacturer. Our founding father was born in the Fujian province of An Xi, which is located in the southern part of China. He hoped for a better life in Singapore due to the widespread poverty in China as a result of the Chinese Civil War, which occurred from 1927 to 1947. Due to a scarcity of food and economic opportunities in China, he reportedly informed his only son, Oh Hock Hai, that his family had no option but to eat tree bark to survive. This led to Mr. Oh Kim An making a definitive decision, and he traveled from China to Singapore in the 1920s on a coolie ship. He had relatives who were experienced in sesame oil production, and when he arrived, they taught him how to make sesame oil.

2nd Generation

Mr. Oh Hock Hai was a descendent of Oh Aik Guan's second generation. He was born in the village of Hai Nan ("海南⼭”) , which is today known as Shunfu Road near Thomson Road. Back then, Shunfu Road was well-known for producing sesame oil. There were roughly 11 sesame oil manufacturers. Mr. Oh Hock Hai had 12 children of his own before he passed. He could be seen indoctrinating his team about the benefits of sesame oil and how his wife recovered rapidly from pregnancies on a regular basis. It was his ambition to spread the benefits of sesame seeds to the company's customers.

Both sons and daughters spent most of their time assisting their parents and had little exposure to the outside world. Their sole desire was to continue their father's legacy in any way they could. Sesame oil production was labor-intensive from the late 1930s until the 1980s. Oh Hock Hai's sons were in charge of sesame oil production and delivery. Oh Hock Hai's children would assist his father by volunteering to take turn delivering his sesame oil.

Life in the 1960s

Both sons and daughters spent most of their time assisting their parents and had little exposure to the outside world. Their sole desire was to continue their father's legacy in any way they could. Sesame oil production was labour-Intensive from the late 1930s until the 1980s. Oh Hock Hai's sons were in charge of sesame oil production and delivery. Oh Hock Hai's children would assist his father by volunteering to take turn delivering his sesame oil.

Mr Oh Hock Hai would go from house to house selling sesame oil with a basket and a bicycle, delivering his sesame oil. The basket is a family heirloom that holds great significance to the family. He would ride to the following locations: Shunfu Road, Redhill, Bukit Ho Swee, Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Kallang Bahru and Tanjong Rhu

Shifted to Ang Mo Kio Industrial

In the 1980s to 2001, Oh Aik Guan was shifted from a village to an industrial park in block 6002/22 of Ang Mo Kio DistriPark in the 1980s. The stretch of road known as "Sesame Oil Street'' was the name given to the entire stretch. After a few years, the government decided to reacquire the land, and the corporation had to relocate. It was also the first time the Oh Family had used advanced machinery, primarily from Japan, in their manufacturing plant.

The expeller's sophistication piqued the interest of the entire family and friends. A sesame expeller is built specifically for Sesame Seeds to provide the highest proportion of oil extraction

2001 - Present : 54 Drive Senoko

The Oh brothers had children who assisted them with their Sesame Oil production enterprise. Since 2002, the factory has integrated all of its operations and relocated to the current 20,000 square foot Senoko Drive facility.

The Company's operation has evolved from manual manufacturing to 90 percent automation with a smooth production line to ensure that the oil produced is of excellent quality. The Company has invested over SGD2,000,000 to date in order to automate the current scale of operations. Oh Aik Guan has also expanded its services to include high-quality packaging for OEM and private label needs.

Oh Aik Guan is always looking for new ways to enhance our technology and efficiency so that we can provide the best quality sesame oil and service to our customers all over the world. We've gone a long way, so you can depend on us to offer the best sesame oil for the next 84 years and beyond. Due to the sheer effort of multiple generations, Oh Aik Guan has evolved into what it is today. We vow to make A Taste of Generations available across the world for all to enjoy.