Why olive oil need to be kept out of the frying pan

Apart from its nearby provenance, rapeseed oil’s massive selling stage, say converts, is its wellness-offering properties. As with olive oil, rapeseed oil is made up of Omegas three, 6 and 9, important fatty acids identified to minimize cholesterol and preserve heart wellness, joint mobility and brain perform. It is also a rich, organic source of vitamin E. Higher in mono-unsaturated fats, it is one of the few unblended oils that can be heated to deep-frying temperature with out its antioxidants, character, colour and flavour spoiling. In short, it is 1 of very best “great” oils.

“Rapeseed oil has about half the saturated excess fat located in olive oil, and a fraction of that in palm oil,” says Kay Weijers of Border Fields, who generates a premium rapeseed oil cold-pressed from crops grown in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland.

Although the French use rapeseed oil for dressings and dips only, Weijers argues it can be employed in the identical way as further virgin olive oil. “Simply because it’s acquired a high flash point, it is great for roasting potatoes, veggies, and as a butter replacement in crumble mixes, Yorkshire puddings and mashed potato.” It heats well in a wok, and can be utilised as a table condiment for dipping bread. And at £3.99 for a half-litre, it is not astronomically far more high-priced than olive oil.

So could an substitute challenge olive oil as our healthy unwanted fat of option?

Elizabeth David initial popularised the Mediterranean diet regime in the 1960s. Because then, olive oil (as properly as lots of fruit, greens and fish) has been more and more key to our ideas about healthy eating.

“There is a true culture about olive oil, and deciding on your oil is a bit like deciding on your wine,” says Ian Marber, the nutritionist acknowledged as The Foods Medical doctor. “But bear in mind that in Britain 25 many years ago we used vegetable oils and things like Crisp N’Dry. Olive oil was observed as exotic. I think that for social reasons – let us call it snobbery – it has grow to be the benchmark. Rapeseed, on the other hand, is nonetheless off-radar. As a ‘healthy’ oil, it’s perfectly comparable to olive oil.”

The public is increasingly aware of the medicinal worth of specific oils, says Christina Panayi, brand manager at Holland and Barrett. “Consumers know that fish oils contain omegas three,6 and 9, and that evening primrose is hormone-balancing.”

But if a homegrown oil is ever to exchange olive oil in the nation’s larder, buyers will need to have to resolve the conflicting dietary suggestions surrounding “healthful” fats.

“We are confused about fats,” says Al Overton, who buys gourmet oils for the organic supermarket chain Planet Natural. “Folks are always asking me what to cook with. The basic solution is, maintain a range of oils. Preserve coconut or a related saturated fat for heavy frying, olive and rapeseed oils for light frying and salads, and pumpkin and avocado oils for dressings and dips.”

When it comes to cooking at substantial temperatures, rather than reaching for the gourmet oil, Overton believes we ought to be returning to the hefty fats typically employed by our grandmothers.

“Much more and far more, we are realising that the meals scientists who frightened us away from cooking with particular fats got it wrong. It was our grannies – who cooked with goose excess fat or butter, ghee or coconut oil, based on in which they came from – who had the right concept.”

DELI OILS Really worth A GLUG

Particulars right at time of publication

Grapeseed oil

Lower in saturated fats and extracted from pressed grape seeds, this has a nutty flavour and is used broadly across Europe for deep-frying. With a clean, fresh aroma, it can also be added to a bath or employed as a base for aromatherapy massage oils.

One to try: Meridian Grapeseed Oil, £3.99 for 500ml from Goodness Direct (0871 871 6611, www.goodnessdirect.co.united kingdom)

Hempseed oil

Frequently regarded as the most nutritionally balanced oil, with the highest and most total profile of vital fatty acids. Rich in omega-3 as effectively as anti-inflammatory omega-6, it is intensely flavoured. But with a reduced smoke stage, it can’t be utilized for cooking, as heat destroys its nutrients.

A single to consider: hemp-primarily based Excellent Oil, £5.99 for 500ml, from ocado.com

Pumpkin seed oil

A sturdy, dark-green oil with a number of medicinal properties. A keen anti-inflammatory, it is also explained to assist minimize cholesterol levels, inspire prostate wellness, and ease irritable bowel syndrome. Drizzle it in excess of salads or potatoes or use it as a dip for bread.

One particular to try out: Pumpkin Seed Oil, £8.85 for 200ml, from Planet Organic (020 7731 7222, www.planetorganic.com)

Avocado oil

Made in New Zealand and pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding the avocado pip, this has a high enough smoke point (255°C) to be utilised like extra virgin olive oil. High in mono-unsaturated fats and vitamin E, it is a popular regenerative for the skin.

One particular to try: Olivado Avocado oil, £5.50 for 250ml, from Finch and Green (www.finchandgreen.com)

Rice bran oil

Extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice, this oil’s extremely higher smoke level (254°C) tends to make it suitable for substantial-temperature cooking. Mild in flavour, it is largely monounsaturated, and wealthy in vitamin E and phytosterols, which are believed to reduce cholesterol.

1 to try: Alfa A single Rice Bran Oil, £1.73 for 173ml, from Asda (0845 300 1111, www.asda.co.united kingdom)

Why olive oil need to be kept out of the frying pan