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What’s the healthiest cooking oil to use? You’ve probably asked this question at least once in your life. For example, some oils are best suited for sautéing, while other oils may complement certain ingredients and boost flavor. It is defined as the temperature at which an oil stops glistening and starts to break down, losing its integrity. This is when things start to get smokey. When this happens, the taste can become unpalatable but not only that, it can lose its nutritive value and produce free radicals that are very harmful to the body. Cooking oils are classified as refined or unrefined.

Refined oils go through an extraction process using high heat. This technique may result in a loss of natural nutrients, flavor or aroma in the cooking oils. Unrefined or cold-pressed oils are extracted using pressure and no heat or minimal heat is applied. As a result, these cooking oils retain most of their natural nutrients and have a distinct flavor and aroma that is not compromised. Fat composition and flavor: Each cooking oil comes with its own flavor profile, which can enhance any dish, from rich and buttery to nutty and fishy.

If your goal is to make your food taste like the oil it’s cooked in, you’ll want to select an oil with a strong, bold flavor. If you are looking for an oil to not overpower your dish in any way, choose an oil with a mild flavor. Another thing to pay attention to is the types of fat found in your cooking oil. For olive oil to be certified extra virgin, it must be first cold-pressed. Cold-pressed indicates that the olives never exceed a certain temperature during the pressing process, which ensures maximum quality.