What cooking oil do you use?

[btbyrd]

I'm in the anti-canola camp as of a few years ago. I rarely used it prior to that time (because I seldom use neutral flavored oil when cooking) but tried three or four brands of varying quality before giving up on it entirely. All brands produced fishy off flavors. I've switched to peanut oil and never looked back. (And sometimes corn oil if I'm cooking for a mixed crowd and don't know about allergies). But really, if you're going to sear a steak, clarified butter, tallow, or lard are the way to go.

[kwankapang]

How you ever want to prepare Asian / Chinese food at home? The most common cooking oil used by the Chinese is peanut oil and palm oil.  The taste of Asian food is more authentic if either one of this oil is used.

[patrickamory]

Despite my aversion to anything that remotely reminds me of peanut butter, I took the plunge and started using peanut oil for various dishes. And - oddly enough - I like it!

[liuzhou]

How you ever want to prepare Asian / Chinese food at home? The most common cooking oil used by the Chinese is peanut oil and palm oil.  The taste of Asian food is more authentic if either one of this oil is used.

 

I've never come across palm oil in China. Peanut oil is certainly the most common in this part of southern China, but not everywhere. Rice bran oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and corn (maize) oil are also used widely. In parts of China, soy oil is more common than peanut.

 

Here is part one of my blog on oils in China, with links to parts two and three

Edited April 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

liuzhou,

 

Would you mind telling us if the peanuts are grown in China or imported?

 

Lots of folks know about peanut oil for Chinese cooking, but I've never heard anything about peanut crops being grown in China.

 

Please PM me, if you think I'm in jeopardy of thread hijacking, but I'm burning up with curiosity on this issue.

 

Sorry.

[liuzhou]

liuzhou,

 

Would you mind telling us if the peanuts are grown in China or imported?

 

Lots of folks know about peanut oil for Chinese cooking, but I've never heard anything about peanut crops being grown in China.

 

Please PM me, if you think I'm in jeopardy of thread hijacking, but I'm burning up with curiosity on this issue.

 

Sorry.

 

No need to be sorry. I don't think this is off topic.

China is by far the world's largest producer of peanuts.

I guess most is used for oil., but apart from the oil,  peanuts are everywhere.. As snacks, in mainstream cooking (e.g Kungpo Chicken) etc. Even peanut sprouts, peanut stems etc are eaten.

Edited April 20, 2015 by liuzhou (log)

[kwankapang]

Palm oil is my choice.  Reasons:

1. I use it for deep-frying and it can be reused a few time before it turns bad.

2. The smoking point of palm oil is high and is suitable for Chinese style stir-frying (need to apply intense heat at times).

3. The taste is universal.  Peanut oil and olive oil have the distinctive flavor and therefore I try not to use them.  I can easily control the flavor of the dish I cook without the interference of the flavor of the oil.

 

 

What is the favorite oil you use? Love to hear from you.

[radtek]

I keep a dark green bottle of high quality yet priced to sell evoo in a cool dark cupboard. But my main goto is a 50/50-ish mix of canola and peanut oil that I keep in the fridge along with a small bottle of sesame oil. I don't keep butter and will sometimes save schmaltz.

 

All the high heat stuff gets the canola/peanut blend. The olive and sesame oils are used for flavoring generally. Found it is better to buy in smaller bottles and have a higher turnover. Just seems fresher that way here in the warm South.

 

Palm oil... not so universal in the States I think except in... most processed food.

[kayb]

I have in my pantry at present: Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and a crock of saved bacon grease, as well as some flavored oils, some walnut oil, and some tangerine oil which makes outstanding citrus viniagrette. Oh, and there's coconut oil in the bathroom; I've never cooked with it, but it makes an outstanding moisturizer. I use the first four with some regularity, the latter ones for specialty purposes.

Edited May 2, 2015 by kayb (log)

[andiesenji]

I'm still using the same oils I was a year ago, when I posted - rice bran oil, grapeseed and sunflower seed oil - the latter both "raw" and "refined" which I find excellent for high-temp frying.  Also EVOO, regular olive oil, butter, lard, bacon drippings, duck fat, etc. 

 

I absolutely, positively will not use palm oil.  I did use it for some things (Indonesian recipes) in the past but that was before the massive deforestation in critically endangered areas. 

 

For flavoring, I have been using culinary Argan oil on numerous dishes, particularly grains, pastas, tapas - toast-based appetizers such as bruschetta, etc., because of the unique flavor which, in my opinion, enhances and compliments the flavors of these foods (definitely Umami)!

It is expensive, but should be used sparingly. 

For an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, I drizzle a bit on warm flatbread - naan or pita.

Some people say it basically tastes like mildly toasted sesame oil but not to me - I like toasted sesame oil and use it in some dishes but it has a faint bitterness that is absent in the Argan oil.

 

A friend sent me a "set" of "exotic" nut/seed oils for my birthday in March (I was away at the time so they were at my neighbor's till I got home) and I opened the Macadamia oil yesterday and made a small batch of mayo - the recipe was on a hang-tag on the bottle.  It was excellent in chicken salad.

 

There is also hemp oil, pistachio oil and Sacha Inchi Oil and the latter is one I have never heard of.  Apparently it is one of the new "superfood" items from the Andes.  Available from Amazon.  I have yet to try these three but the latter intrigues me as it is apparently a "flavoring" or "finishing" oil and may be similar to my favorite Argan oil.

Edited May 2, 2015 by andiesenji (log)

[huiray]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/feb/02/malaysian-palm-oil-forests

http://www.wired.com/2014/07/palm-oil-map-rainforest/

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/palm_oil/about/

etc

 

--------------------

 

Oils I have around:

Peanut, rice bran, "vegetable" (this one is actually soybean), several EV olive oils (Alziari, California Olive Ranch Arbosana, Maussane-les-Alpilles, generic 'The Fresh Market' brand), walnut, hazelnut, black truffle, black sesame, toasted sesame, non-toasted sesame. Also small tubs of chicken fat & duck fat.

 

The ones I currently use most regularly for cooking/frying are the peanut & rice bran oils.  Don't have canola at the moment but not because I shun it.

 

I don't suppose "chili oil" counts in this regard. :-) 

Edited May 3, 2015 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

I forgot to mention – I cook a lot of Chinese and Chinese-derived food (including Malaysian-Chinese, Singaporean-Chinese, Thai/Vietnamese-Chinese, Nyonya, etc besides Chinese-Chinese) and have done so over many years but have never used palm oil.  Corn/"vegetable"/soy/peanut/rice bran oils have been the ones I've used, and I choose the one suitable for what I am preparing or what I feel like or what I want to impart to the dish.  I don't especially worry about having a "universal" oil, I just have the various ones around - but that's just me.  I would note that I rarely (if ever) use olive oil for Chinese-derived/style dishes as the flavor profile is harder to match with the dish and ingredients concerned, for my taste at least.  Even when doing something like blanching vegetables in "oiled simmering water" (something I've described here before and is a common technique in Chinese cooking) olive oil is a BAD choice IMO because I find it creates a peculiar "greasy" texture and mouthfeel for the vegetables.  There are also some food writers/bloggers (usually in the West) who use olive oil in their Chinese dishes "for the health benefit" but I myself would prefer to pass on that. ;-) 

[harrysnapperorgans]

I use extra virgin Olive Oil for almost everything. I have a bottle of canola which I use for making Asian style food - the idea of olive oil along with things like fish sauce and soy sauce fills me with horror.

 

Occasionally I'll use some butter too, often for pancakes.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I'm with huiray on the heavy, greasy mouth feel of olive oil. I love it salads, but a little goes a long, long way. I use it to oil the pan when baking pizza, but sparingly. A little EVOO in a marina is good, but I never add it to meat sauce, which already has plenty of animal fat.

 

I too would never use olive oil with Chinese or other Asian food.

 

I use lots of butter too for cooking, harrysnapperorgans. It's especially good for seafood and eggs or sauteing vegetables. I'd still eat crab or lobster without melted butter to put in my candlelit butter warmers to dip it in, but it sure wouldn't be as much fun, and I can't think of a single thing that could successfully be substituted for the butter here.

[SLB]

For those who use "Light" olive oil as a neutral-ish oil -- including frying -- is there a mass-produced brand you like?

 

In answer to the topic's query -- I like pig lard for almost everything.  Which is why it runs out over here before the meat does . . . . 

 

I also use peanut or corn oil, and after reading this thread, want to visit refined safflower oil. 

 

I love the price of canola oil, but experience a not-always-pleasant taste with it.

 

I am currently trying to avoid other true "seed" oils for my deep-fry purposes (People.  I fry a lot of food, is the truth.  I like fried food.).  My understanding is, "Light" olive oil does not have the taste of extra-virgin olive oil (which is fine, great even -- when you're looking for it); and retains some kind of monounsaturated value.  And you can fry with it, and it costs like something that sane people might fry with.  [I guess I also need to know -- can you reuse it???]]]

 

Somewhat off-topic -- my neighborhood is generally populated by people from the Dominican Republic, and the oil that dominates the regular-store shelves hers is cornCornCORN!!!!  I'm very curious about the corn-oil connection.  

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by SLB (log)

[Joe Blowe]

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but since you mentioned that you're avoiding seed oils it sounds to me like you're avoiding unhealthy or "bad" oils. If that is the case do look at Mark's Daily Apple, where they've done quite a bit of research on different fats:

• https://www.marksdailyapple.com/healthy-oils/
• https://www.marksdailyapple.com/updating-the-primal-stance-on-vegetable-oils-high-oleic-varieties/

[gfweb]

I fry frequently and I use mostly peanut oil.  Flavorless with no off tastes like canola, high smoke point too.  Fairly cheap as well.

[liuzhou]

55 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I fry frequently and I use mostly peanut oil.  Flavorless with no off tastes like canola, high smoke point too.  Fairly cheap as well.

 

I don't find peanut oil 'flavorless' at all. I can always detect it. Not always a problem, but sometimes. I loathe eggs fried in peanut oil, for example.

 

Rice bran oil is truly 'flavorless' and has a higher smoke point. It's my go to.

[ElsieD]

17 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I don't find peanut oil 'flavorless' at all. I can always detect it. Not always a problem, but sometimes. I loathe eggs fried in peanut oil, for example.

 

When I want Asian items not available at my regular grocery store I go to an Asian one.  One item  I used to buy there was  peanut oil that was from Taiwan.  It had quite a strong peanut flavour.  The peanut oil used heavily here is made by Planter's.  No peanut taste, no peanut flavour.

[haresfur]

Grape seed oil or rice bran oil do well for me. If things aren't going to get blazing hot I use virgin olive oil.

[TicTac]

20 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

I don't find peanut oil 'flavorless' at all. I can always detect it. Not always a problem, but sometimes. I loathe eggs fried in peanut oil, for example.

 

Rice bran oil is truly 'flavorless' and has a higher smoke point. It's my go to.

Credit to you for turning me onto Rice Bran oil many years ago.  It has been our go-to for frying (though hard to find as of late...) for a while.

 

Lower temp cooking, I will use Olive Oil.

 

Also experimenting with Avocado oil for higher temp frying, but I do not like the taste it leaves.

 

 

[liuzhou]

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

The peanut oil used heavily here is made by Planter's.  No peanut taste, no peanut flavour.

 

I've had Planter's peanut oil and can taste peanut. In fact, I've never found a peanut oil that I can't taste. I'm no super-taster; it may just be that I dislike the taste in some applications and, so notice it more. Peanut oil is the main oil used round here.

 

There are certainly some super-peanuty oils such as your Taiwanese sample.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

For neutral cooking oils I use a few:

 

For deep frying and stir frying I prefer peanut oil.  Organic peanut oil for stir frying, less expensive peanut oil for deep frying.  I cannot detect any taste from refined peanut oil of any sort.  When I want a peanut taste for, say, peanut gelato, I use a less refined peanut oil.

 

When the cuisine calls for it I employ olive, grapeseed, or sunflower.  Usually the best oils that I can find.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I've had Planter's peanut oil and can taste peanut. In fact, I've never found a peanut oil that I can't taste. I'm no super-taster; it may just be that I dislike the taste in some applications and, so notice it more. Peanut oil is the main oil used round here.

 

There are certainly some super-peanuty oils such as your Taiwanese sample.

 

I can't say I've tried Planter's.

 

[Katie Meadow]

Peanut oil is not flavorless, at least to my tastebuds. I like Golden Lion peanut oil for most of my Chinese stir-fries. I think it is relatively miild compared to Planters. I use a lot of it and buy the large size in Asian groceries; not all of them carry it though. I took a Thai cooking class and my teacher swore by Golden Lion. I like rice bran oil too, but it would be pricey used in the quantities I use peanut oil.

 

I've never deep fried anything in recent memory, so that's a mystery category for me. The neutral oil I prefer is Sunflower. Grapeseed I like for some baking when a recipe calls for neutral oil rather than butter. Canola I truly find disgusting. I don't understand why so many recipes call for it. To me it tastes like fish. When cooking Italian or with tomatoes and for most salad dressing I pretty much always use olive oil. I can't imagine making hummus without olive oil!