Cooking oil is one of the most common culinary ingredients you’ll find in American homes. It’s used in countless dishes, but what exactly does it do?
The main purpose of using cooking oil is to quickly transfer heat to the food that’s being cooked. This is why frying is usually quicker than other cooking methods, such as boiling or roasting. Cooking oil has good tolerance against high temperatures, which means it doesn’t boil or break down right away.
In addition, cooking oil can provide additional flavor, depending on what it’s made of, and bring out the fat-soluble nutrients in the other ingredients. When used in baking, it can help with moisture retention, as well as tenderizing and leavening the ingredients.
Despite these advantages, the main issue with cooking oil (especially vegetable oil) is that when it is heated, it releases trans fat, free radicals and toxins that can leach into your food and wreak havoc on your health.
Source: https://www.mercola.com/infographics/healthiest-cooking-oil.htm
