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Traditionally, chile oil was a red Asian oil that gave heat to dishes. Today, gourmet chile oil can mean a high-quality oil infused with a hot chile.
November 2006 |
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Oils, Vinegars & Salad DressingsCulinary Oils GlossaryHow Many Types Of Cooking Oil Are There?
There are scores of different oils used in baking, cooking and garnishing. The right selection depends on the exact purpose. Is the food to be baked, fried, sautéed, seared, stir-fried? Will the oil be part of a marinade or a salad dressing? Or will it be a garnish, an “anointing oil,” where a few drops of the best oil go a long way? Oils are extracted from these categories:
There are two basic methods used for extracting the oil, cold extraction, which is how the finest oils are produced, and heat extraction, which produces refined oils. Both methods are described in the glossary below. If you think we should consider definitions than those we have provided, or you’d like to suggest additional words for inclusion, click here. Also see our Olive Oil Glossary. You can click on the letter of the alphabet in the bar below to get to a term a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
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AVOCADO OIL 
CANOLA or RAPESEED OIL 
COCONUT OIL 
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Oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree. The first pressing yields extra virgin olive oil; other grades include virgin olive oil, olive oil. Olive oil is not a high-heat cooking oil; the smoke point is low, and heating at high temperatures evaporates the alcohols and esters that give the oil its taste. That’s why one should never cook with extra-virgin or virgin olive oil, but simply that designated “olive oil”; and then, its best use is for sautéing meats and vegetables at lower temperatures, or for baking. However, olive oil is at its best when consumed uncooked, such as in salad dressings or dipping sauces. See our complete Olive Oil Glossary. |
 Photo of green olives courtesy of OliveOil.com. |
ORANGE OIL
A golden colored oil with a citrus aroma that is produced from the skin of the orange. It is commonly used as a marinade and a salad dressing or in baking and basting. It can be mixed with olive oil to produce a combined flavoring and dipping oil.
PALM OIL
Palm oil, pressed from the pulp of the fruit of the African palm, has a red-orange color, a strong, unique flavor, and is very popular in the preparation of dishes in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Western Africa. It is very high in saturated fat, however, and with increasing awareness of health issues, is being used less and less. There is a highly refined version of palm oil with very little color.
PALM KERNEL OIL
Palm kernel oil differs from palm oil in that it is extracted from the kernel rather than the fruit of the palm. It has a light yellow color and it has a milder flavor than palm oil. Like coconut oil, it is extremely high in saturated fat, but because the saturated fat in the oil is plant based, some studies suggest that it does not raise LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body (see Coconut Oil). Palm-kernel oil is often used in the manufacture of various cosmetics and in some brands of margarine.
PEANUT OIL
Domestic peanut oil is almost clear and has a mild flavor due to the refining process. Chinese peanut oil has a more pronounced peanut taste and aroma. Refined peanut oil has a high smoke point and is popular for sautéing and frying. It does not absorb or transfer flavors from food during the cooking process. It is also high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which makes it a healthy oil to use for cooking or as a base for dressings. It will keep for long periods if stored in its original container in a cool, dark place. Peanut oil is also known as groundnut oil and it should be remembered that its use in cooking might cause severe illness in people allergic to peanuts.
PINE NUT or PINE SEED OIL
Pine seed oil, which is obtained from pine nuts, is one of the most expensive oils on the market—$2.39 an ounce compared to $.55 for walnut oil. Thus, its appeal is very limited. It provides a nutty, earthy fragrance and taste to salads, as a condiment, or as a dress for almost any steamed or roasted vegetable. Add a tablespoon or two to pesto.
PISTACHIO OIL
Hard-to-find but worth it, this distinctive oil pairs beautifully with salads that contain citrus or avocado, arugula and other spicy greens (cress, red mustard greens and mizuna, e.g.). Try a vinaigrette of 5 to 6 tablespoons of oil with 1/4 fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of shallots, salt and pepper to taste; with a citrus or avocado salad try an optional tablespoon of honey. Pistachio oil is a delicious anointing oil for fresh goat cheeses (especially delightful when the rounds have been rolled in chopped pistachio nuts), grilled fish and shellfish. It also goes well with many Middle Eastern dishes, 
especially couscous and lamb.
POPPY SEED OIL
Poppy seed oil has a smooth, subtle flavor that works as a dipping oil and a salad oil.
PUMPKIN SEED OIL
Pumpkin seed oil, pressed from roasted pumpkin seeds, is thick, dark and opaque with a strong flavor. It can be combined with milder oils for salad dressings or used undiluted to add a distinctive flavor to fish or vegetables.
RAPESEED OIL
See Canola Oil. Not to be confused with Grapeseed Oil.
REFINED OIL
See Heat Extraction.
RICE BRAN OIL
Rice bran oil (photo at right) is a nutty-tasting oil that is made from the bran of the rice bran, the brown portion that is removed from the grain of rice during processing. Most of the nutrients are in the bran, so it produces a very healthy oil, rich in amino acids, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. It is used as a cooking oil.
SAFFLOWER OIL
The safflower is a member of the thistle family. Its seeds are pressed for safflower oil, a light, neutral-flavored oil which has the highest level of polyunsaturated fat of any edible oil. While it is low in saturated fat (second only to canola oil), it has a low level of monounsaturated fat and contains no vitamin E, so it is not as nutritious as other oils. However, it has a very high smoke point so it is an excellent oil for deep-frying, pan-frying and sautéing. It also can be refrigerated without solidifying. Safflower oil is also used to make margarine.
SESAME OIL
Unrefined sesame oil is made by crushing sesame seeds and filtering the resulting oil, which is light and has a mild flavor. It is very popular in Middle-Eastern and Indian cooking, and gives good flavor to stir-frys and salad dressings. Dark sesame oil is where the excitement lies: the seeds are toasted before crushing to produce a darker oil with an intense fragrance and robust flavor (it is very strong—we often mix 1 tablespoon of it along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a classic vinaigrette). in stir-frys and marinades for meat or fish, blending dark sesame oil with milder oils will tone down the pungent flavor.
SMOKE POINT
The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to decompose from the heat. It gives off visible fumes (smoke) and an unpleasant odor as it breaks down. While most oils can be used to quickly sauté, for high-heat cooking it is important to choose an oil with a high smoke point. View a complete list of smoke points by type of nut.
SOYBEAN OIL or SOY OIL
Soybean oil boasts many of the same health claims as soybeans: high in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats and fairly low in saturated fat. It is highly refined and has a high smoke point, making it a good all-purpose cooking oil. It is commonly used in the manufacture of margarine, vegetable oil and shortening, in commercial food production, and in Chinese cooking. Generic brands of vegetable oil are often 100% soybean oil. It is one of the more inexpensive oils, and often used t make commercial mayonnaise.
SUNFLOWER OIL
Sunflower oil is an all-purpose high-heat cooking oil with the added benefit of a high 
monounsaturated fatty acid content and a high level of vitamin E. It is a light yellow color and has a mild flavor that is suitable for salad dressings. Like most other refined oils, it has a fairly high smoke point.
TEA OIL
Tea oil is cold-pressed from the seeds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. A pale amber-green in color, the oil has an herbal aroma with a somewhat sweet flavor. It is high in vitamin E and other antioxidants, contains no trans-fatty acids, is lower in saturated fat than olive oil and is non-hydrogenated. It is often used in Asian foods and it can be served as a salad dressing when it is combined with other flavors, such as lemon or lime. Tea oil has a high smoke point so it can withstand high-heat cooking without burning. While it is relatively new in the U.S., it can be added to cooked vegetables, pasta, dips, dressings, marinades and sauces.
TRUFFLE OIL
Most truffle oil contains little actual truffle, but is produced by infusing olive or other oil with the flavor of truffles—generally a chemical essence that smells and tastes like truffle. In a very few instances, truffle pieces are soaked in a high-quality, extra virgin olive oil until the absorbs flavor and aroma. That’s why the black truffle oil of Eugenio Brezzi, a noted truffle purveyor, costs $132 an ounce, while 4 ounces of “chemical” truffle oil can cost $10. But both, at their own levels, can be used to add the truffle flavor to a variety of foods ($132 an ounce is close to the price of actual truffles, so one might simply go for the real thing). Truffle oil must be tossed on or dribbled onto food, since heating the oil will cause the flavor and aroma to dissipate. Similarly, an open bottle of truffle oil will lose its flavor quickly and should be used up in a short period of time. The oil, which is available in both black and white truffle varieties, is used in small amounts in pasta sauces, risottos and, meat and poultry dishes.
UNFILTERED OIL
Unfiltered oil contains natural particles that have not been removed, which leaves oil cloudy. This can include pieces of the fruit or nut. Unfiltered oil aficionados claim this adds additional flavor. Unfortunately it causes a sediment to form at the bottom of the bottle over time which can become rancid, negatively impacting flavor and shelf life. Unfiltered oil should be carefully stored and used within 3 to 6 months of bottling.
VEGETABLE OIL
Vegetable oil can be a blend of oils , e.g. corn, soybean and sunflower, or it may be only one type of oil. There is no requirement for the label to list the type(s) of oil in the bottle. Generally, “vegetable oil” is refined to have a high smoke point but very little taste or aroma. This makes it a good all-purpose oil for baking, frying and sautéing. However, it is not of sufficient quality to be used as a condiment oil or for salad dressings.
VEGETABLE OIL COOKING SPRAYS
Aerosol cooking sprays propel a very small amount of oil from the can, so it adds negligible calories. The flavored sprays are more interesting, even when just “greasing the pan.”
WALNUT OIL or HUILE DE NOIX
Walnut oil is a rich oil redolent of walnut flavor, extracted from the meat of walnuts by pressing. As with other nut oils, it is used in baking, salad dressings and sauces, and it is more expensive than vegetable oils. High in polyunsaturated oils, including Omega-3s, it is delicious drizzled over endive scattered with blue cheese and toasted walnuts, or drizzled over fresh goat cheese, sprinkled with chopped toasted walnuts. Other favorite uses include with slices of pear, apple or Asian pear for a fruit and cheese course, brushed on grilled poultry and fish, or as a garnish for root vegetable soup, corn chowder or puréed squash. See Nut Oil.
WHEAT GERM OIL
Wheat germ oil is obtained from the embryo of the wheat kernel. It is delicious in salad dressings; health food aficionados discovered it was equally delicious when tossed with pasta. As with flaxseed oil, it is a rich source of vitamin E and is most often used as a dietary supplement.
© Copyright 2005-2008 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their individual owners.
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