Guide to Cooking Oils & Lards

~A~

Almond: This is an oil with a strong flavour. It should be used sparingly as it can be over-powering, but when added to salads, veal dishes, and some poultry dishes, it enhances the flavours of the other ingredients. It is usually available in ½ pint tins and is quite expensive.

Avocado: This oil is high in mono unsaturated fats and is used mainly in dressings, vinaigrettes and mayonnaise, but can also be used as a baste for white meats and fish.

~B~

Butter: This is a fatty substance made by churning cream which has been skimmed from the milk of the cow. It is a pale yellow in colour with a salty thick cream taste. It should be eaten in moderation as it is high in fatty acids.

~C~

Canola: A refined rape seed oil developed in Canada. High in mono-unsaturated fats, very low in saturates, with a good amount of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturates..

Canola Spread: Made with canola oil, this spread is predominantly mono-unsaturated, with small amounts of saturated fats. Use on bread and toast, in pan cooking and oven baking.

Chilli: This oil is usually red to pink in colour and only needs a small amount added to any dish to produce heat. Use sparingly as this oil tends to be pretty hot.

Cooking Margarine: Cooking margarine has slightly more mono-unsaturated fats than saturated fats. This fat can also be used in place of butter when making roux.

Copha: Derived from the coconut, this is a mainly saturated fat. Melted and mixed with other ingredients, copha will set when cool. Used to make ever popular chocolate crackers and coconut ice.

Corn: This oil is rather tasteless, but handy when added to salads or other dishes that don't require any extra flavour. Only use cold-pressed 100% corn oils as anything less than this will have a very strong, oily flavour.

Cotton Seed: Low grade oil, not generally used for anything else other than to deep-fry in. This oil is very low in cholesterol, but has a peculiar smell about it when heated.

~D~

Dripping: Gotten mainly from beef and sheep, it is mostly a
saturated fat. This was very popular back in the depression years as the only source of protein when eaten with bread.

~G~

Grape seed: This is a light-weight, very pale coloured oil, quite popular in Italian and French dishes. It has a nice nutty flavour and makes a terrific edition to green salads and any dish that requires a nutty flavour.

Gumleaf: Use this pale yellow oil with its Eucalyptus flavour in desserts, with caramel or honey, or in savory sauces with coriander or honey. Diluted it can be brushed onto smoked salmon or barbecued meats.

~H~

Hazelnut: The rich nutty flavour of hazelnut oil truly compliments any salad that it is added to. This oil should only be bought in in small quantities as it becomes rancid within a few months. .

Herb Oil: This is usually a combination of vegetable, olive oil and a selection of herbs such as rosemary, oregano, parsley and basil. This oil is used to cook in or brushed on pizza or focaccia bread to add flavour.

~L~

Lard: Is rendered pork fat, a mixture of poly- and mono-unsaturated fats. Once widely used in pastries and dough or for shallow and deep-frying.

~M~

Mustard Seed: Mustard seed oil is high in mono and poly-unsaturated fats and low in saturates. It does not have a mustard flavour. This oil can be used in dressings, marinades and salads.

~O~

Olive: Of all the oils, this is the highest in mono-unsaturated fats, with a small amount of saturated fats. Extra virgin olive oil contains an abundance of anti-oxidants. The mellowest, most flavoursome oil of Olive Oils is extra virgin. Store olive oil in a cool, dark place.

~P~

Peanut: Most peanut oils tend to have a very oily and heavy texture but the better quality oils have a slightly nutty neutral flavour about them. Peanut oil is used in many asian dishes where the other ingredients are more important for flavour than the oil. This oil burns at a higher heat than any other cooking oil.

Pistachio: High in mono-unsaturated fats, it is used to add the taste and aroma of pistachios to dressings, marinades, salads, vegetables and some desserts.

Pumpkin Seed: This is a dark colored oil similar to sesame but with a very strong flavor. This oil originates from Austria where it is used in dressings, on vegetables or fish.

~R~

Rapeseed: Sometimes known as canola this oil has the highest levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, next to olive oil. It is popular in China, India, Canada, Australia and Japan.

~S~

Safflower: This light, pale yellow oil is very high in poly-unsaturates (which break down cholesterol), but has little flavour. In salads, the addition of another oil such as walnut will enhance the flavour of this oil.

Sesame: A popular oil in asian cooking because of its distinct roasted sesame seed flavour. This nutty flavoured oil compliments vegetables and salads alike. It can also be used in stir-fries, or any dish that requires frying.

Solidified Oil: This is a shortening, a blend of animal and vegetable oils which allows it to be cooked with at higher temperatures than some other oils and margarines. This oil is generally used to deep fry food in.

Soya Spread: Make from soya bean oil, this spread is predominantly poly-unsaturated, with a fair amount of mono-saturates and a small amount of saturated fats. Use on bread, toast, cooking and baking.

Soybean: A very strong flavoured oil, this is one that should not be used in salads unless diluted with perhaps sunflower or safflower oil and should be used sparingly.

Suet: Solid, white fat which surrounds the kidneys in beef and lamb. Mainly saturated, suet was once widely used to make puddings, pastries and stuffings. And the birds love it.

Sunflower: This is a neutral, pale oil which should be mixed with other, stronger flavoured oils, or used in dressings with balsamic or wine vinegars.

Sunflower Margarine: Make from sunflower oil, this margarine is predominantly poly-unsaturated. Use on bread and toast, cooking and baking.

~V~

Vegetable: This is an oil made up of a combination of vegetables and used in the commercial kitchens in place of olive oil. To add flavour to other dishes, combine vegetable oil with another, strong flavoured oil, such as walnut.

~W~

Walnut: Cold-pressed french walnut oil is rich, full flavoured and adds a truly unique taste to most greens. This is another oil that spoils quickly so refrigerate after opening.