Cooking Oil

Cooking oil

An oil that is extracted from plants, animal or synthetic fats. Cooking oil is used in frying, baking and other types of cooking. They can also be used as flavouring without being heated, such as in salad dressings. Usually cooking oil is in liquid form, unless it has saturated fats; which is why coconut oil is solid at room temperatures.

Cooking oil varieties

Given there are many plants the oil variety is just as diverse. One can buy olive oil, canola oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and the list goes on and on. There are also options of nut-based oils, such as almond oil or peanut oil. Animal-based oils include butter or deshi ghee. The synthetic fats are used to create faux ghee and is basically Hydrogenated vegetable oil. Some oils cost more, but generally, desi ghee is expensive; as are most nut-based oils.

Different oils have a different 'smoke point', this is the stage at which the oil starts to burn and becomes hazardous to the health. Desi ghee has one of the highest smoke points, making it ideal for deep frying. Another option that is also good and available locally is mustard seed oil or as it is called in Pakistan; sarsoun.

It is common for people to mix a few different oils to cook in; getting a good variation in nutrition from the mix.

Health-related considerations

Oil is generally considered bad for the health, this of course is a matter of how much one is consuming and also what type. One should limit saturated fats, so have them in decent quantities and one should avoid saturated and trans fats. Good unsaturated fats lower the risk of disease. 

Nut based oils could be a hazard to people who have allergies from nuts.

Comments

In Pakistan, sunflower and canola oil are used very commonly, as is 'banaspati ghee' which is considered a processed food due to it being a synthetic fat-based oil.

One should be careful about their oil intake as, again, larger quantities can be damaging. These health-related issues vary from person to person as well, so some people may not be affected by a certain oil the same way as another.

Cooking oil is available for many different prices, which largely depends on what the oil was extracted from.