Different Kinds of Cooking Oils

One thing about cooking is knowing what ingredients to use and what each is capable of doing to your creation. Cooking and flavoring with oils is highly used throughout the cooking industry. It can be used from sauteing to salad oils and everywhere in between. Here is a list of oils used in the culinary field and what their uses are:

• Canola Oil: Canola oil is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. It can be used in cooking and baking and is light in color.
• Corn Oil: This is a by product of hominy, corneal and starch. It is used in salads and frying. This has a very high smoking point and used in most kitchens in the food industry due to being inexpensive.
• Peanut Oil: This oil has a nutty flavor and is amber in color. This has a high smoking point and excellent for deep frying.
• Sesame Oil: I find that these oils are best used to flavor a dish since it has a low smoking point. Excellent for flavorings in salads and stir fry’s.
• Soybean Oil: Derived from soybeans this oil is mostly used in salad dressings, margarine and shortenings. It has a high smoking point.
• Olive Oil: Different qualities based on growing and manufacturing conditions. The first pressing is referred to Virgin Olive oil. This oil used in allot of European cooking. Olive oil can be used as a dipping oil for breads, salad dressings and even making margarine. Olive oil has a very low smoking point so I do not suggest it for stir frying.
• Safflower Oil: Has a high smoking point and used in margarine, salad dressings and mayonnaise.
• Grape-seed Oil: This oil can be used in cooking, margarine and salad making.
• Coconut Oil: This oil has a low smoking point and usually used in blended shortenings and oils. It is high in saturated fat.
• Walnut Oil: Nutty aroma and flavor but is highly perishable. This is used mostly in salad preparation and baking.

Till next time!

Chef