Peanut oil...who knew? FYI

[Darienne]

DH and I make Chinese dishes for our lunches quite often.   He does the 'mises' and I do the cooking and get ready the odds and sods, like the tea, setting the table, putting out the condiments, etc.  Truth be told, his job is more work than mine...but then he gets to have Chinese food quite often which is what he likes.

 

And we use peanut oil, most of which we buy at our local Asian grocery store.  And until yesterday, neither one of us never looked at the "Ingredient list" for peanut oil.  Peanut oil would contain only peanut oil...one would think.

 

Apparently not so.  Our current container which is titled "Peanut Cooking Oil" has the following ingredient list (in order): Soybean Oil, Sesame Oil, Peanut Oil.  Who knew?

 

Yesterday we bought peanut oil at a regular grocery store, a Loblaws brand (Canadian brand), and it contains...wait for it...100% peanut oil. 

 

Hooray! 

[liuzhou]

I think the mistake you perhaps made was buying "Peanut Cooking Oil". I don't know the food description legislation where you are, but that sounds suspiciously like a get-around. They seem to be selling cheaper oils flavoured with peanuts, as opposed to the 100% peanut oil, which I am happy to see you have now found.

 

I don't recall coming across anything like the oil you described here in China, though I wouldn't be surprised if it exists.

 

At the same time, while I'm here, I recommend Rice Bran Oil for Chinese cooking.

Edited March 10, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[cakewalk]

Interesting. I wonder if there's a noticeable taste difference in the final dish. The addition of sesame oil (particularly if it's toasted) can make a huge difference in flavor.

[liuzhou]

4 minutes ago, cakewalk said:

Interesting. I wonder if there's a noticeable taste difference in the final dish. The addition of sesame oil (particularly if it's toasted) can make a huge difference in flavor.

 

Yes, but adding sesame oil to the initial frying oil is a total waste of time and oil. The fragrance and taste of sesame oil dissipates very rapidly, even when toasted. That is why, in China, it is only ever used as a condiment, added just before serving and never as a cooking oil.

Edited March 10, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[Darienne]

Thanks all.  I shall look for Rice Bran Oil next time we are in the city. 

 

I'm afraid that our taste buds are not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between one oil and another.   No doubt you would all laugh heartily at our attempts at Chinese dishes.  Unfortunately we now have only those horrible 'All-You-Can-Eat' buffets in our area now and we find the food unacceptable.  All swimming in the same sauce pretty much.  Chinese food for the Cheese Whiz crowd.  (Sorry if I am insulting some eGulleters.  Can't think of a more useful comparison.)

[Darienne]

As for the mistake of buying 'peanut cooking oil'...it never occurred to us that oils were subject to such counterfuge before.   Does not speak well of our discernment.

[ElsieD]

Hmm. ...I just checked my peanut oil which I also buy at an Asian grocer (T & T).  It is a Lion and Globe brand, from Hong Kong and is 100% peanut oil.  It smells like peanuts.  When we bought it, there was an identical looking container which I almost bought by mistake until I looked at the label.  It contained a blend of peanut oil and if memory serves, canola oil.

Edited March 10, 2016 by ElsieD
fixed a typo (log)

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Darienne said:

Thanks all.  I shall look for Rice Bran Oil next time we are in the city. 

 

I'm afraid that our taste buds are not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between one oil and another.   No doubt you would all laugh heartily at our attempts at Chinese dishes.  Unfortunately we now have only those horrible 'All-You-Can-Eat' buffets in our area now and we find the food unacceptable.  All swimming in the same sauce pretty much.  Chinese food for the Cheese Whiz crowd.  (Sorry if I am insulting some eGulleters.  Can't think of a more useful comparison.)

 

I just suggest Rice Bran Oil as I find it totally neutral in taste. I often read that peanut oil is neutral, but I can definitely taste it. I don't object to the taste in Chinese food, although I think it is foul  with say a fried egg - and then all the allergy issues if cooking for other people. So I default to Rice Bran, except for olive oil in western dishes - never, ever in Chinese.

 

I wouldn't laugh at your Chinese dishes. I'd praise you for moving on from the disgrace of the so-called Chinese food you have experienced and praise your attempts to improve on it - to your and your DH's liking.

Edited March 10, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[Darienne]

Kind words, Liuzhou, and I thank you.   There's nothing really exotic (in North American terms) or authentic I wouldn't think in our dishes, but we do use some of the ingredients which you wouldn't find in most Canadian Chinese restaurants, unless you were in Toronto or Ottawa or Vancouver.  Long beans, eggplant, cabbage, tofu, lychees, longans, for a few.   I've even gone as far as making a steamed sponge cake.  Nothing exciting...but not restaurant fare.

 

Peterborough Ontario, in east central Ontario, is not a hotbed of exotic cuisines.  But hey!  we live here.  And I can't complain.  We just don't eat out anymore.  (Except basically for good Mexican food in the southwest and fish and chips at home.  Ontario does good fish and chips.)

[Deryn]

I've been using pure avocado oil lately for just about everything, which means it is often used for Asian recipes since that is what I cook almost daily. I bought a large bottle somewhere but can't recall if it was in Canada or the US. I can't recall how much it cost but it must have been semi-reasonable or I probably wouldn't have purchased it for cooking purposes. It has a very high smoke point temperature (500F/260C) and seems pretty tasteless to me. Mind you I have not tried it for 'deep frying' (because it has been many years since I used that technique) but with the high smoke point I am sure it would be decent, if pricey.

 

I have looked and looked for rice bran oil and so far haven't been able to find any (even in the Asian stores I have visited in the past couple of years). I won't use peanut oil or soy or canola. The first and last I just don't trust their sources. Ditto on the soy but soy I also have to avoid if possible for medical reasons.

[Katie Meadow]

Lion and Globe is also my preferred peanut oil for stir fry. It has a very pure peanut taste, so I don't consider it a neutral oil either. Given that I use my wok at least twice a week, buying a large bottle in Chinatown is the most efficient way to go. I do use Rice Bran oil, but mostly for certain Asian style salad dressings and slaws.

[Darienne]

That's two for Lion and Globe.  We have to go into the city tomorrow so I'll send the DH to gather the names of the brands held by our Asian grocery.  Need ingredients to make Hot and Sour soup anyway.

[Tere]

I mainly use cold pressed rapeseed oil (canola I think is the US name) for everything, apart from roasting veggies / more Meditteranean dishes, when I have a herby/spicy and a neutral olive oil. And more basic rapeseed for the once a year I will probably deep fry, having tried it for the first time for Valentine's.

 

Great Ness is local and pretty good. Rapeseed from small suppliers is becoming more popular in the UK (I showed a shelf mostly of it in Grocery shopping the other week). Thought this article on the changes was quite interesting.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11710297/Goodbye-olive-oil-why-weve-all-fallen-in-love-with-rapeseed.html

[Katie Meadow]

On the bottle I have now the name Lion & Globe is in tiny print running vertically. Look for the cartoon lion, then check the label. 

[KennethT]

I don't know if it's available in your area, but I like the Knife brand of peanut oil... I get it in a 1 gallon jug, and there's a big picture of a peanut on the label... it smells very pleasantly peanut-y...

[liuzhou]

It is worth pointing out that peanut oil is not the oil of choice in huge parts of China. Sometime ago, on a Chinese non-cooking specific forum, I mentioned that the only oil one of my supermarkets carries is peanut oil and was bombarded by people accusing me of lying because the supermarkets in their area never had peanut oil. "Everyone uses XXXXXX oil! you liar!"

 

Other oils used in different parts of China include rape seed (canola), soy bean oil, corn oil, sunflower seed oil etc.

 

Some less common oils are grape seed oil, perilla oil, camellia oil and this:

 

Here is what I have written in the past about fats and oils in China. Part 1  Part 2 Part 3

Edited March 11, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[cakewalk]

13 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes, but adding sesame oil to the initial frying oil is a total waste of time and oil. The fragrance and taste of sesame oil dissipates very rapidly, even when toasted. That is why, in China, it is only ever used as a condiment, added just before serving and never as a cooking oil.

I often wonder about this. I usually drizzle toasted sesame oil over vegetables or whatever I'm cooking toward the end, or when the cooking is finished. It's often not stir-fry or anything on high heat, I just like toasted sesame oil, I'll put it on anything. I don't actually cook with it, for the same reasons you state in your post. However, I sometimes bake with it, and it offers a tremendous amount of flavor in baked goods even though it's baking at a temperature of at least 350F. So it seems that it's not just the heat, but the type of heat that effects its flavor. The dry heat of the oven doesn't seem to diminish it.

[KennethT]

@cakewalkEven though your oven is 350F, the temperature inside your cake is much less - probably much less than 212, otherwise your cake would boil!

[cakewalk]

1 minute ago, KennethT said:

@cakewalkEven though your oven is 350F, the temperature inside your cake is much less - probably much less than 212, otherwise your cake would boil!

True dat. Didn't think of it. Still pretty hot, but I guess not hot enough.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Peanut oil for frying turkeys is popular in this neck of the woods. The first time I did this with our friend's borrowed outdoor fryer, I sprang for pure peanut oil. It takes gallons, and can run into more money than the turkey if you're buying it on a seasonal loss leader sale. They began offering a peanut/canola blend in gallon containers, at least seasonally, so I opted for that for subsequent turkey fries. It worked well, and I saved money. I appreciated the fact that it is clearly labeled on the front of the jugs as a blended oil, so one is aware of what they are selecting.

 

I kind of like the flavor of peanut oil for stir-frying, even if it's not authentic for Chinese cooking, like I thought it was. 

 

I also use toasted sesame oil only as a finishing oil, because everything I have read supports what @liuzhou said about its flavor being destroyed by heat. I love it, but it little goes a long way. I buy it in a cute little 6 oz. bottle, keep it in the fridge, and it lasts me years. Very interesting point that @cakewalkbrings up about using it in baked goods. I can definitely see it in a shortbread cookie, yellow cake or popovers.

[liuzhou]

27 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I kind of like the flavor of peanut oil for stir-frying, even if it's not authentic for Chinese cooking, like I thought it was.

 

I didn't say it isn't authentic. Peanut oil is most certainly used extensively in Chinese cooking, just not everywhere. Sorry if I accidentally misled you.

Edited March 11, 2016 by liuzhou (log)

[Franci]

I used to use peanut oil all the time. In Italy that is the oil of choice after extra virgin olive oil and olive oil. Most people fry with it, although where I'm from is not uncommon to see people deep frying in extra virgin (and the taste is so much better for me).

In Europe peanut oil is not that expensive. Non like in the US, so I don't use it as much as before. When I first came to the US I used to buy it from chinatown. Not cheap, only peanut oil. And to my surprise, the fist time I bought it, it was much more stronger in peanut smell compare to the totally deodorized western product.

[liuzhou]

30 minutes ago, Franci said:

And to my surprise, the fist time I bought it, it was much more stronger in peanut smell compare to the totally deodorized western product.

 

I've noticed a huge variation on how peanuty peanut oil can taste or smell. I've no idea what causes the difference. I suspect freshness, but could be wrong.

I've stood and watched oil being extracted from peanuts, then bought it. It was very peanuty in taste and scent. I've also bought cold-pressed, first pressing peanut oil from the supermarket and found it very low in taste or scent. Not low enough that I couldn't still detect it in a dish though!

[Norm Matthews]

I recently got some olive oil from an Asian Market and later discovered that it was a blend. It was Genco brand.  The same brand in the Godfather movie.

[ElsieD]

22 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

On the bottle I have now the name Lion & Globe is in tiny print running vertically. Look for the cartoon lion, then check the label. 

 

And check the ingredient list.