Virgin Red Palm Oil is a Healthy Vegetable Oil
Oil from the Fruit of the Oil Palm Essential to West African Cuisine
Mar 11, 2009
Palm oil is edible oil used in cooking, especially in traditional West African cuisine and contemporary Southeast Asian cuisine. Today palm oil is the most widely used edible oil in the world. The oil itself comes from the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis spp. from the Greek word for oil). The small fruit of the oil palm (known locally in Africa as mchikichi) takes about half a year to mature. Palm kernel oil, a separate product, comes from the fruit’s nut.
Palm Oil History
Until the industrial revolution in Britain, palm oil was not in high demand outside of West Africa where it was used primarily as cooking oil. The British, however, began importing massive amounts of palm oil as a lubricant to grease the cogs of that nation’s industrialization and as a foundational ingredient in soap, soap products and candles. By the late 19th century, palm oil was the dominate export from West Africa.
By the second half of the twentieth century, Malaysia and Indonesia began producing more palm oil than West Africa. Malaysia now produces over half of the refined palm oil used worldwide.
Making Palm Oil
To extract the oil, the fruit is first washed and steamed or cooked to soften the pulp. Using a mortar, the fruit is pounded to separate the fleshy part from the nut. The nut is set aside for kernel oil. The separated, mashed flesh of the fruit is then pressed to separate the oil from the fiber. The oil is red in color because of the high beta-carotene content. Once the oil is separated, it is heated to remove the excess water and then filtered before bottling.
Palm Oil Nutritional Information
Virgin palm oil is a nutritionally rich oil high in both vitamins A and E. Its high beta-carotene content is commonly cited as one of its best attributes, as beta-carotene is believed to reduce the incidence of cancer and other diseases. There is some debate about how heart-healthy palm oil is, but most experts now believe that virgin palm oil actually assists in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Because it does requires no hydrogenation, palm oil contains no trans fatty acids.
Bruce Fife, author of the book The Palm Oil Miracle writes, “Palm oil can affect your health in so many positive ways it can be regarded as a health tonic.”
Cooking With Palm Oil
Cooks love palm oil not only for its distinctive color and taste, but also because of its cooking properties. In particular, it is a very high heat stable vegetable oil and imparts a wonderful texture on dishes prepared with it. Some common African dishes using palm oil are:
- Muamba Nsusu (Congo Chicken Soup)
- Moambé
- Red-Red
- Dahomey Fish Stew
- Thiebou Diene (Fish and Rice)
Where to Buy Palm Oil
Palm oil is now more widely available in the United States and Canada, although it is still sometimes hard to find. Whole Foods Markets, for example, carries the excellent red palm oil made by Jungle Products. Palm oil can also be bought online form companies such as Tropical Traditions.
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