Mind the oil used for cooking

[bzb]

While having a brisk-wailking at night in the city, I came to take a rest in a restaurant at Clarke Quey. On the table there is this specialty in the menu of the restaurant that wrote something like this:-


"We use healthy olive oil to fry your food"…

Dear ksp, do you have a voice on this?

Olive oil is perceived as healthy oil because of it’s higher content of omega-3 essencial fatty acids as compared to other cooking oil. Omega-3 is well-known for protecting our heart, lowering the chorestyerol level and improving blood circulation.

But is it appropriate to use olive oil to fry food? As to what I know, food frying is done in high temperature. And high heat can destroy the good Omega…

[osim]

I use olive oil for grilling and sautéing or use it neat for salad. For deep frying, I use sesame peanut oil. I know olive oil has low smoke point. I think to use with medium heat is okay. To use it for deep frying is too costly.

[bzb]

So for frying food you use sesame + peanut oil because it is more stable under hing heat. Which brand of these oil mixture you choose?

Also for olive oil, it has many different grades: virgin, extra virgin, 1st pressed, cold pressed. Which one you use for sauteing?

[Sallypally]

I have no idea about using olive oil for frying but…


Well in my opinion "Healthy olive oil" is pretty misleading.

I would rephrase it to "Healthier olive oil" because no matter how you see it, eating fried food, in today’s context, is never or at least rarely healthy due to the accessibility of junk food and reluctance/lack of exercise.

No matter the type of oil used, fried food is still fried food. These are food that have absorbed or are coated with liquid fats (oil) due to the process of frying (meaning extra calories and calories will turn into body fat if unused).

[osim]

bzb:

So for frying food you use sesame + peanut oil because it is more stable under hing heat. Which brand of these oil mixture you choose?

Also for olive oil, it has many different grades: virgin, extra virgin, 1st pressed, cold pressed. Which one you use for sauteing?

I am not so technical with the types of oil. I go for the fragrance. I like extra virgin olive oil because the olive smell is more intense and I use it on salad too. It helps if you heat your pan hot then add the oil.

For deep frying, I use cock brand.

[HAPPYH]

bzb:

While having a brisk-wailking at night in the city, I came to take a rest in a restaurant at Clarke Quey. On the table there is this specialty in the menu of the restaurant that wrote something like this:-


\"We use healthy olive oil to fry your food\"...

Dear ksp, do you have a voice on this?

Olive oil is perceived as healthy oil because of it's higher content of omega-3 essencial fatty acids as compared to other cooking oil. Omega-3 is well-known for protecting our heart, lowering the chorestyerol level and improving blood circulation.

But is it appropriate to use olive oil to fry food? As to what I know, food frying is done in high temperature. And high heat can destroy the good Omega...

Yes, you are right. At high temperature, omega 3 will become saturated fatty acid. We don't need to pay such a high price when there is no benefit.

[bzb]

Thanks all for the contribution.

Thus the important thing abt olive oil is not to over heat it till reaching the smoke point. Below is the for smoke point for different types of oil to share…

Fat\tQuality\t Smoke Point
Almond oil\t\t216°C
Avocado oil\tRefined\t271°C
Avocado oil\tUn-Refined, Virgin\t190-204°C
Butter\t\t121–149°C
Canola oil\tExpeller Press\t190-232°C
Canola oil\tHigh Oleic\t246°C
Canola oil\tRefined\t204°C
Castor oil\tRefined\t200°C
Coconut oil\tExtra Virgin (Unrefined)\t177°C
Coconut oil\tRefined\t232°C
Corn oil\tUnrefined\t178°C
Corn oil\tRefined\t232°C
Cottonseed oil\t\t216°C
Flax seed oil\tUnrefined\t107°C
Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)\t\t252°C
Grapeseed oil\t\t216°C
Hazelnut oil\t\t221°C
Hemp oil\t\t165°C
Lard\t\t188°C
Macadamia oil\t\t210°C
Mustard oil\t\t254°C
Olive oil\tExtra virgin\t191°C
Olive oil\tVirgin\t199°C
Olive oil\tPomace\t238°C
Olive oil\tExtra light\t242°C
Olive oil, high quality (low acidity)\tExtra virgin\t207°C
Palm oil\tDifractionated\t235°C
Peanut oil\tUnrefined\t160°C
Peanut oil\tRefined\t232°C
Rice bran oil\t\t213°C
Safflower oil\tUnrefined\t107°C
Safflower oil\tSemirefined\t160°C
Safflower oil\tRefined\t266°C
Sesame oil\tUnrefined\t177°C
Sesame oil\tSemirefined\t232°C
Soybean oil\tUnrefined\t160°C
Soybean oil\tSemirefined\t177°C
Soybean oil\tRefined\t238°C
Sunflower oil\tUnrefined\t107°C
Sunflower oil\tSemirefined\t232°C
Sunflower oil, high oleic\tUnrefined\t160°C
Sunflower oil\tRefined\t227°C
Tea seed oil\t\t252°C
Vegetable shortening\t\t182°C
Walnut oil\tUnrefined\t160°C
Walnut oil\tSemirefined\t204°C

[fable]

Good thing to think about. But using olive oil is generally ok, especially if its not extra virgin, because deep frying temperature is about 190 degrees. My preference is rice bran oil.

[osim]

fable:

Good thing to think about. But using olive oil is generally ok, especially if its not extra virgin, because deep frying temperature is about 190 degrees. My preference is rice bran oil.

I don't think anyone will use extra virgin olive oil for deep frying. It's too expensive.

[osim]

bzb:

Thanks all for the contribution.

Thanks to YOU, for providing the list of smoke point of the different oils.