Several Types of Cooking Oil and How to Use It

[ARTIKEL] 03 Mar 2021

Cooking oil for people in Indonesia has become a daily part of processing food ingredients into finished dishes. The method of cooking by frying is an option because it is easier and more practical and can produce ripe and highly nutritious food. Currently on the market there are several types of cooking oil in circulation. The difference between the various oils depends on the fatty acid content which will then affect the characteristics or properties of these oils.

Here are some cooking oils and their fatty acid content:

1. Palm Oil: 51% saturated fatty acids, 38% oleic acid, 10% linoleic acid, 1% linolenic acid
2. Coconut Oil: 90% saturated fatty acids, 7% oleic acid, 3% linolenic acid
3. Corn Oil: 13% saturated fatty acids, 28% oleic acid, 57% linoleic acid, 2% linolenic acid
4. Nuts Oil: 19% saturated fatty acids, 47% oleic acid, 33% linoleic acid, 1% linolenic acid
5. Olive Oil: 15% saturated fatty acids, 74% oleic acid, 9% linoleic acid, 2% linolenic acid

The other name oleic fatty acids are omega-9, while linoleic and linolenic acids are omega-6. Omega indicates the presence of a double bond in the molecule. The more double bonds in an oil, the less resistant it is to heating. This is because the double bond when heated to a certain temperature will produce peroxides which are not good for health. Meanwhile, saturated fatty acids do not have double bonds so they are more resistant to heating.

Based on the fatty acid composition, the more saturated fatty acids are, the more resistant they are to heating. Therefore, if it is to be used for high heat frying, the most heat resistant ones are coconut oil, palm oil, peanut oil, olive oil and corn oil, respectively. But the best for dressings (poured directly over the vegetables without heating), then the best ones are peanut oil, olive oil, palm oil and coconut oil, respectively. For sauteing use (briefly heated) either one can be used.

So choosing cooking oil should be adjusted to the needs of cooking, whether for deep fried, sauteing, or just for dressing. so if you often fry, the right choice for cooking oil to use is coconut oil, then palm oil, peanut oil and olive oil.