What oil do you use for frying?

In life, there are many kinds of food, among which the most popular are various kinds of fried foods. Although fried foods contain more oil, some fried foods taste very delicious, such as fried chicken wings, French fries, fried cakes, etc. These foods are everyone’s favorite. In fact, when making fried foods, different oils will produce different flavors and tastes.

What oil is suitable for high temperature frying?

The principle of fried food

The smoke point and melting point of the oil determine the cooking method, the unsaturated fatty acids determine the healthiness of the oil, and the aromatic organic matter dissolved in the oil determines the flavor of the oil. The same raw material, using different processing techniques, contains different ingredients and has different applicability. Fried foods are mainly cooked using oil as the heat transfer medium. Low-temperature frying (50% to 60% oil temperature) is approximately at 130℃ to 170℃, and high-temperature frying (70% to 80% oil temperature) is approximately at 170℃ to 230℃. Therefore, the smoke point of oil generally used for frying is higher than 230℃. Theoretically, the higher the smoke point, the more suitable it is for frying, so that not too many harmful substances will be generated during the frying process.

Several factors affecting frying oil

Among the many oils, which oil is suitable for frying? The first thing we should consider is that the heating temperature of the oil when frying food is generally high, as well as the stability and oxidation rate of the oil under high temperature conditions.

1. Consider the oxidation rate: Due to the different fatty acids contained in oils and fats, the oxidation rates vary greatly. Saturated fats are the most stable and the least likely to oxidize. The higher the degree of saturation of the oil used for frying food, the less likely it is to oxidize and the less lipid peroxides are produced. Therefore, the best fat for frying food is saturated fatty acid. Palm oil>animal oil>olive oil, wild tea oil>peanut oil>corn oil>soybean oil>rapeseed oil>perilla oil, sesame oil, etc.

2. Consider the stability of fats. Among natural oils, relatively stable oils include butter, cocoa butter, etc., with stability values ​​of 2.3-2.4, followed by lard and palm oil, with stability values ​​of 1.5-2.0. Among vegetable oils, peanut oil has better stability, with a stability value of 1.2. Other oils are 1.0 or below, such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, etc. Fats with low stability values ​​are not suitable for frying.

3. The soybean oil and rapeseed oil mentioned above are not suitable for frying because they contain a certain amount of linoleic acid. Vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid are also not suitable for frying. For example, safflower oil and sunflower oil are rich in linoleic acid, which will also accelerate oxidation reactions under high temperatures and produce peroxides and trans fatty acids that are harmful to health.

What is the best oil for frying food?

Peanut Oil

Because the unsaturated fatty acids in peanut oil are the most stable at high temperatures compared to other edible oils, it is least likely to denature or decompose during frying to form harmful substances. So fried foods with peanut oil are the healthiest. Moreover, peanut oil has a unique peanut aroma, and the fried food made from it is very attractive.

Palm Oil

Palm oil is mainly used to fry instant noodles. Because it contains a lot of saturated fatty acids, it is not easy to deteriorate. However, the solidification point is relatively high, and single palm oil solidifies at normal temperature in my country's autumn and winter. The oil temperature has a high smoke point of 235 degrees, so it is especially good for frying.

lard

One of the standard oils for Chinese cuisine, it is divided into lard, fat and back fat. If you are particular, many Chinese dishes must be cooked with lard. The correct way to make Chinese dim sum is to use lard to make the puff pastry. Especially the flatbread, lard, onions and flour go perfectly together. Many restaurants that specialize in fried food add lard to the frying oil, usually accounting for 30%, to effectively increase the aroma. The fried food is golden in color and crispy in texture. But the proportion of lard cannot be too high, otherwise it will be very greasy when it gets cold.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is extracted from the white flesh of the coconut and contains almost 50% lauric acid, a healthy saturated fatty acid. It becomes solid at room temperature, so it's not suitable for salad dressing, but its high smoke point makes it an ideal cooking oil.

Oil Guide for Stir-Frying, Mixing, Stewing and Cooking

1. Cooking: rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, etc.

They are rich in antioxidants and have slightly stronger heat resistance, so they can be used in general stir-frying, but they cannot be "overcooked", are not suitable for frying, and cannot be heated repeatedly. Various "blended oils" made from different types of oils usually have good thermal stability and are suitable for daily cooking.

2. Cold salad: extra virgin olive oil, tea seed oil, sesame oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, etc.

The unique aroma of this type of cooking oil makes it more delicious when used in cold dishes. Oil eating recommendations: Children, pregnant women, the elderly, etc. can appropriately choose sesame oil, which is good for intellectual development and delaying memory decline. Sesame oil is too unsaturated, so it should be consumed as soon as possible after opening. It is best used in cold dishes.

3. Stew: use soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil

Soybean oil is rich in vitamin E, and its yellowish color comes from a small amount of carotene. This type of oil is particularly rich in linoleic acid, difficult to solidify, and has poor heat resistance, so it is best used for low-temperature cooking.