Is grapeseed oil >>> olive oil???

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Green Lady

I don't like canola oil. The taste isn't that great. There is no such thing as a canola plant. It is Canadian oil that comes from the highly toxic rapeseed plant. It is a cheaper oil and that is why it is used in so many products. A marketing ploy has been to tout it for it's healthful properties, but I am sceptical about that being true. I say steer clear and use EVOO or the grapeseed. I get so aggravated that canola is in so many products.

Green Lady, please take a couple of minutes to read the article in this link. It by a professor of chemistry and food scientist and author on the subject of canola oil.

[Russellkhan]

Interesting read. He sets up several straw men (sourced from forwarded emails, apparently) to make the anti-canola position look ridiculous, he talks a little about the oil (it's history, etc), he mentions that there are two major positions on the subject, pro- (from the Canola Council of Canada) and con- (undocumented) and then goes on to say that he knows of no studies indicating that canola has been proven harmful to humans.

Well, I know of no studies indicating that it has been proven safe for humans, and I don't care to be one of the test subjects. If you choose to eat the stuff, that's fine. I don't trust it. I think it tastes bad, and its purely profit driven derivation is no comfort to me. I'll continue to use oils that are made from things I think of as food.

Also, I'd say the professor's tactics don't really put him much above the level of the emails he criticizes.

[Andy M.]

Russell, if you don;t like the taste, there is no reason in the world to use it. As far as your comment about its being purely profit driven, I'd say there is nothing available at your local supermarket that is not purely profit driven.

[UnConundrum]

A local bulk food store gets grape seed oil in for me. I believe it's only $17/gallon when purchased by the gallon. Makes it much cheaper than olive oil, and rather competitive with others.

[Green Lady]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

Green Lady, please take a couple of minutes to read the article in this link. It by a professor of chemistry and food scientist and author on the subject of canola oil.

I did read the article. I was aware when I sent in my comments earlier that there was a link on the internet disputing what I said. My reservations about canola oil weren't as outlandish as most of those the professor rebutted. I did pick up on the part where he said canola oil is genetically modified. I try to avoid genetically modified foods as much as I possibly can.

[archiduc]

This is an interesting thread which, to me, hinges on taste and cooking temperatures and cost. In my kitchen I have EVOO for salads, OO for cooking, a product "Olivio" which is 15% OO and 85% vegetable oil for mayonnaise, and a vegetable (sunflower, I think) oil for deepfat frying. Our supermarkets in the UK sell a wide range of other oils - walnut, rapeseed, cornoil etc.

However, the point at issue on another food board (UK based) is not so much the oil but the cost as we see prices escalating - and not just oil but (other) staples. Today our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown was on TV talking about the amount of food that UK consumers waste each day/week/month. Apparently, our food waste in the UK adds £420 per annum to the average food bill and we have seen food prices for some items like rice triple in the last 12 months. People living in rural areas who have oil-based central heating now have to guard against thieves syphoning off the oil from their tanks!

Anyway, my point is this, have you noticed the cost of oil, for use in cooking, rising over the last 12/6 months and have you made any adjustments. If you have- what`s gone up in price and what adjustments have you made?

Regards,
Archiduc

[pugger]

Grapeseed oil is good for high-heat searing of meats. I've tried it in salads/etc. to use it up before it goes bad. But it's not the same flavor as olive oil, different taste & not a good substitute in Italian recipes.

[black chef]

Originally Posted by pugger

Grapeseed oil is good for high-heat searing of meats. I've tried it in salads/etc. to use it up before it goes bad. But it's not the same flavor as olive oil, different taste & not a good substitute in Italian recipes.

when i'm wearing my italian hat in the kitchen, i reach for the frantoia. there's a local texas evoo that is just as good but more expensive.

[MexicoKaren]

I have not actually heard the urban legends about canola oil, but I choose not to use it, simply because I do not like the taste it adds to the foods I am cooking. The most widely used and available oil here is corn oil, and that is what I use, along with OO and EVOO, as appropriate. I think it is a matter of personal taste - just like cilantro tastes soapy to some people, canola oil tastes fishy to me....

[black chef]

Originally Posted by MexicoKaren

I have not actually heard the urban legends about canola oil, but I choose not to use it, simply because I do not like the taste it adds to the foods I am cooking. The most widely used and available oil here is corn oil, and that is what I use, along with OO and EVOO, as appropriate. I think it is a matter of personal taste - just like cilantro tastes soapy to some people, canola oil tastes fishy to me....

i remember the first time i had cilantro... it was at a vietnamese restaurant.

i thought someone dropped soap or something into my soup and DEMANDED another bowl.



now, i'm addicted to both vietnamese food AND cilantro.