Overview

Cooking oil is any fat used for cooking that is usually liquid at room temperature. It may be of plant or animal origin. Common types include olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil, rice bran oil, and other vegetable oils [1].

Origin and history

The use of cooking oils dates to ancient civilizations. Olive oil was pressed in the Mediterranean by 2500 BCE. Sesame oil was used in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Palm oil has been extracted in West Africa for millennia. The modern global oilseed industry emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries with mechanical pressing and solvent extraction. Soybean oil became the most widely consumed cooking oil worldwide by volume in the late 20th century [1].

Varieties and aliases

  • Vegetable oil (generic term for any plant-derived oil)
  • Olive oil (extra virgin, virgin, refined, pomace)
  • Palm oil (red palm, refined palm olein)
  • Soybean oil
  • Canola oil (rapeseed oil, low-erucic acid)
  • Corn oil (maize oil)
  • Sunflower oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Peanut oil (groundnut oil)
  • Grape seed oil
  • Sesame oil (untoasted, toasted)
  • Argan oil
  • Rice bran oil
  • Ghee (clarified butter, animal-derived)
  • Coconut oil (solid at room temperature, used as cooking fat)

Culinary uses

Cooking oil serves as a heat-transfer medium for frying, sautéing, roasting, and baking. It also functions as a dressing base, emulsifier, and flavor carrier. Different oils are chosen for their smoke point, flavor profile, and nutritional properties. Neutral oils like canola and soybean are used for deep frying. Flavorful oils like olive and sesame are used for finishing or low-heat applications. Ghee is used in South Asian cooking for high-heat frying and tempering spices.

Cross-cuisine context

Cooking oil is a universal culinary ingredient found in nearly all cuisines. In Mexican cuisine, manteca (lard) and aceite vegetal (vegetable oil) are the primary cooking fats, with avocado oil gaining use. In Korean cuisine, chamgireum (toasted sesame oil) is used as a finishing oil, never as a primary cooking oil; soybean oil and perilla oil are used for frying. In Chinese cuisine, toasted sesame oil is strictly a finishing oil, while peanut oil, canola oil, and lard are used for stir-frying and deep frying. In Filipino Mindanao kitchens, halal cooking oils such as coconut oil and palm oil are used, with pork-derived fats excluded. In Peruvian chifa, toasted sesame oil (aceite de ajonjolí) is used as a finishing oil for stir-fries and dumpling fillings.

Notes for cooks

  • Smoke point determines suitability: use refined oils with high smoke points (avocado, peanut, canola) for deep frying and searing; use unrefined oils (extra virgin olive, toasted sesame) for low heat or finishing.
  • Store oils in a cool, dark place to slow rancidity. Nut and seed oils are more perishable than refined vegetable oils.
  • Toasted sesame oil is a seasoning, not a cooking oil. Using it as a stir-fry oil will burn it and produce bitter flavors.