The Different Types of Cooking Oils
Different vegetable and nut oils have different flavors and roles, textures & uses. We have found that vegetable oil, much like olive oil, is the other best option when it comes to cooking as well as being the one with a similar amount of health benefits.
Check this list below to see how all the other vegetable & nut oils hold up against Oliviers&Co’s extra virgin olive oils:
> Olive Oil – Commonly used in cooking, for frying, or as a finish like salad dressing
> Avocado Oil – High smoke point that’s good for frying
> Beech-Nut Oil - From the Fagus sylvatica nut, it can be used for salad or cooking
> Brazil Nut Oil – Good as a possible substitute for olive oil due to its mild & pleasant flavor
> Cashew Oil – Also comparable to olive oil
> Coconut Oil – Extracted from the kernel or ‘flesh’ of the coconut palm plant
> Corn Oil – One of the most common oils sold in processed foods
> Cottonseed Oil – Used for both salads & cooking, both domestically & industrially
> Hazelnut Oil – Mainly used for its flavor in cooking
> Macadamia Oil – Mild nutty flavor with a high smoke point for frying
> Palm Oil – The most widely produced tropical oil & also used to make biofuel
> Peanut Oil – Has a high smoking point & mainly used for frying
> Pistachio Oil – Strong flavored oil with a very distinctive green color
> Rapeseed Oil – One of the most used cooking oils
> Safflower Oil – Used in the paint industry up until the 60s, now used as cooking oil
> Sesame Oil – Cold pressed for a light cooking oil; hot pressed for a darker/stronger flavor
> Soybean Oil – Produced as a by-product of processing soy
> Sunflower Oil – Also a common cooking oil & used for biodiesel
> Walnut Oil – Used for its unique & specific flavor
SEE MORE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
The best and worst oils for your health
Olive oil is well known for its multiple health benefits, the main one being that it is a source of monosaturated fats, which are more commonly referred to as ‘healthy heart fats’. However, the same cannot be said for every oil, as many contain saturated fats which contain a high proportion of fatty acid molecules that are known to be less healthy for you.
Here are the 10 best & the 10 worst oils in reference to their fat content:
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Best Oils
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Worst Oils
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Hazelnut Oil
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Coconut Oil
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Olive Oil
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Palm Kernel Oil
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Flaxseed Oil
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Safflower Oil
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Avocado Oil
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Grapeseed Oil
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Salmon Oil
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Cottonseed Oil
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Almond Oil
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Sunflower Oil, low-oleic
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Canola Oil
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Corn Oil
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Apricot Oil
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Soybean Oil
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Sunflower Oil, mid-oleic
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Walnut Oil
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Pistachio Oil
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Palm Oil
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READ MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL
What Type of Olive Oil for Cooking?
Each olive oil is unique in its flavor, however, one can normally classify an olive oil as either grassy or floral.
When tasting a grassy oil your palate will be hit with vegetal notes, such as cut grass, artichoke, tomato leaves, or green apple. Comparative to a floral oil that leaves a much softer and velvet-like impression in your mouth, with flavors such as almond, milky, and sometimes fruitier flavors such as citrus, pear, or hazelnut.
An easy way to decipher these tastes is by comparing them to wine. Much like red wine, a grassy oil will tense to be more aromatic and livelier, with perhaps a more pungent taste and robust flavor. At the same time, a floral oil will react more like a white wine, with a silkier and more delicate flavor in the mouth.
A Few Useful Palate Terms
Here are a few terms for describing the taste of olive oils
> Bitter – Indicates the presence of fresh olives
> Buttery – Smooth and creamy mouth feel
> Fresh – Good aroma, fruity, not oxidized
> Harmonious – A balance between the oil’s flavors where there isn’t one more dominant than the other
> Peppery – A stinging sensation in the throat, which can occasionally force a cough
> Round – A balanced and nourishing sensation of balanced flavors
> Spicy – Aroma/flavor of seasoning such as cinnamon or allspice
Source List Health Castle
