Table of Contents
Introduction
We use oil for cooking many kinds of dishes and cuisines. Oil is also used as dressing for salads, dipping for bread and a flavor- adding an agent. It is also a medium for pan-frying and deep-frying a variety of delicious foods cooked around the world. Oil is obtained from a lot of sources like vegetables, nuts, animal fat, etc. Some of the vegetables and plants that contain oil are corn, sunflower, flax, olive, coconut, hemp, peanut, mustard, etc. Butter and lard are a few examples of oil obtained from animals.
As mentioned above, one of the main uses of oil is for the purposes of frying food. The oil should be of good quality and taste for the fried food to taste good and delicious. If the oil itself has a bad taste to it, it affects the quality of the foods. For frying foods, the oil should be heated to a very high temperature, so that the food is cooked properly and uniformly.
As the oil needs a high temperature for it to cook food while frying, the oil should have a high smoking point. Smoking point is the point where the oil starts to boil and thereafter turns into smoke, thereby causing the oil to have an unpleasant taste which in turn will make the food taste bad. The following are some of the oils that are great for frying foods
Best Oils For Frying Food
Oils with a high smoking point are the best oils to fry foods as they don’t get burnt easily and also adds a lot of taste to the foods. Some of the oils that are great for frying foods are as follows:
1. Peanut oil
The neutral taste is one of the best reasons why peanut oil is the best oil for frying foods. They also have a very high smoking point, which helps in frying foods because if the oil has a low smoke point, they will get burnt and will leave a bad taste in the food that is being fried. They are also healthy because they have low- saturated fat content and have high poly-saturated and monosaturated fats.
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2. Soybean oil
Soybean oil has a very high smoke point, which makes it the perfect oil for deep frying. They are low in saturated fat and have very high- unsaturated fats. It also contains some omega-3 fatty acids, which makes it a good choice for you, if you want to reduce your chance of cardiac ailments.
3. Safflower oil
Safflower oil is made by pressing the safflower seeds. They have a high smoking point which makes it the ideal oil for deep frying foods. They are also very tolerant of high heat which makes them even more compatible with frying and deep-frying.
They are light yellow in color and have a very mild aroma which doesn’t affect the smell of the food that is being cooked in the oil. Safflower oil is quite healthy as it is known to control blood sugar levels, fight inflammation, hydrate the skin and lower the bad cholesterol levels in one’s body.
4. Vegetable oil
The best way to fry food is by frying them in oil that has a very natural flavor. Vegetable oil has a natural flavor that makes the food that is cooked with it taste way more delicious and tastier than the foods that are made with other oils. These also have a high smoking point which makes them a good choice for frying foods.
5. Canola oil
Canola oil like every other oil in this list has a very high smoking point, which helps in proper frying of foods rather than completely burning them and making them inedible to eat. They have a nice flavor which enhances the taste of the food. It is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, saturated fats, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Therefore; it is good for the overall health of one’s skin, bones and heart.
6. Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is exclusively used for frying and deep-frying. The cottonseed oil has a very mellow, nutty flavor which gives the food a rich taste. Though cottonseed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fats, we wouldn’t recommend this oil for frying or deep-frying, because it is also a rich source of saturated fats. Therefore, regular consumption of this oil can cause a negative impact on your cholesterol levels.
7. Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is used by most of the people around the world for cooking, they are used for salad dressing, sautéing, frying, deep frying and even baking. This is the most commonly used oil by people throughout the world because they come at a very reasonable price. Sunflower oil, like all the other oils in the list, has a high smoking point, which makes it a great choice for frying foods.
Sunflower oil predominantly contains mono saturated and poly saturated fats. They don’t have a flavor of their own, so, they help the food to have its own taste than giving a new taste to it. Sunflower oil is a good source of Vitamins A, C, D, and E. The antioxidants in this oil help to keep your skin free from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Therefore, you will see a visible reduction in acne, wrinkles, blackheads and other aging-related symptoms.
Related Reading:
12 Impressive Benefits Of Sunflower Oil | Side-Effects Of Sunflower Oil
Conclusion
Though you should avoid foods fried in oil mostly, an occasional indulgence is not harmful. If you do have to eat fried foods, it is highly recommended to use one of these oils that we have explained above. They are rich in antioxidants and many vitamins that help in the overall functioning of your heart by keeping your blood sugar and cholesterol levels under control. Therefore, choose your oil wisely and reduce your intake of oil-fried foods to the maximum possible extent, to lead a healthy life.
