Vegetable oil

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Whether in baking or cooking, it’s likely you’ve encountered vegetable oil before. But what exactly is vegetable oil, and how is it different from other oils? As it turns out, it’s not as straightforward as it may seem. When it comes down to it, any oil that’s extracted from seeds, grains, nuts, or fruits is considered to be a vegetable oil. Common types of vegetable oil include sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, avocado oil, and olive oil, among many others. However, the oil we generally consider to be “vegetable oil” (the kind labeled that way in the grocery store) is almost always soybean oil or some blend of vegetable oils like soybean and corn. This type of vegetable oil has a very mild and neutral taste—almost flavorless. It’s light-colored with no noticeable aroma. These characteristics make it a highly versatile oil in the kitchen. When used in cooking, vegetable oil does its job without altering the flavor of the dish. Vegetable oil also has a higher smoke point between 400 to 450 degrees fahrenheit. This means it’s ideal for high-heat cooking like frying or sauteing, although it’s also useful for general cooking and baking. Is vegetable oil unhealthy? While vegetable oil isn’t necessarily bad, you don’t always know what oil you’re getting and how that oil was processed. Vegetable oil can be heavily processed. However some vegetable oil, including soybean and corn, are high in polyunsaturated fats. This is a healthier fat as compared to the saturated or trans fats which are most often found in animal fat such as butter and lard. At the end of the day, moderation is key, and most consider vegetable oil to be a safe and essential ingredient in the kitchen.