With a wide variety of cooking oils available in New Zealand, each with unique flavours and properties, it can be hard to choose the right one. Our quick guide will help you understand the different types of cooking oils and how best to use them in your meals.
Types of Cooking Oil
Olive Oil
Extracted from olives, available in various grades such as extra virgin, virgin and refined.
• Flavour: Ranges from robust and peppery (extra virgin) to mild and neutral (refined).
• Uses: Extra virgin olive oil is ideal for dressings, dips, and finishing dishes, while refined olive oil is suitable for sautéing and frying at medium temperatures.
Types of Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)is the highest quality olive oil available. With a rich, robust flavour with a slight peppery finish it’s ideal for dressings, dips and drizzling over finished dishes. It has a low smoke point that makes it less suitable for high-heat cooking.
Virgin Olive Oil is milder than EVOO but still maintains a full-bodied taste. It’s good for sautéing and frying at moderate temperatures.
Refined Olive Oil is lighter in flavour and colour due to the refining process and is an all-purpose oil.
Pure Olive Oil is a versatile blend of refined and virgin olive oils suitable for everyday cooking.
Canola Oil
Made from the seeds of the canola plant.
• Flavour: Mild and neutral.
• Uses: Versatile and great for frying, baking, and stir-frying due to its high smoke point and neutral flavour.
Vegetable Oil
A blend of various plant-based oils, often including soybean, corn and sunflower oils.
• Flavour: Neutral.
• Uses: Perfect for all-purpose cooking, baking, frying, and grilling.
Coconut Oil
Extracted from the meat of coconuts.
• Flavour: Distinct coconut aroma and flavour (unrefined) or neutral (refined).
• Uses: Ideal for baking, sautéing, and medium-heat cooking. It’s also popular in vegan recipes and as a dairy butter substitute.
Avocado Oil
Extracted from the flesh of avocados.
• Flavour: Mild, buttery flavour.
• Uses: Excellent for high-heat cooking like frying and grilling due to its high smoke point, as well as for dressings and dips.
Rice Bran Oil
It's extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called bran.
• Flavour: a subtle nutty, earthy flavor similar to peanut oil.
• Uses: It's ideal for frying and baking because its subtle taste won't overpower a dish. It has a high smoke point so it's suitable for high-temperature cooking
Sunflower Oil
Extracted from sunflower seeds.
• Flavour: Mild and neutral.
• Uses: Suitable for frying, baking, and roasting. Its light flavour makes it ideal for dressings and sauces.
Sesame Oil
Made from raw or toasted sesame seeds.
• Flavour: Nutty and rich (toasted) or mild (unrefined).
• Uses: Common in Asian cuisine, perfect for stir-frying, dressings and marinades. Toasted sesame oil is best used as a finishing oil due to its strong flavour.
Peanut Oil
Extracted from peanuts.
• Flavour: Mildly nutty.
• Uses: Great for frying, especially deep-frying, thanks to its high smoke point. It’s also used in Asian cuisine for stir-frying and sautéing.
Grapeseed Oil
Extracted from the seeds of grapes.
• Flavour: Mild and neutral.
• Uses: Versatile oil suitable for frying, baking, and making sauces. Its light flavour is also great for salad dressings.
Walnut Oil
Extracted from walnuts.
• Flavour: Rich and nutty.
• Uses: Best used as a finishing oil for salads, drizzling over cooked dishes, and in baking for added flavour.
Ways to use cooking oil
Cooking oils are more than just fats for frying; they add flavour, moisture and richness to dishes. From the robust flavour of extra virgin olive oil to the high-heat stability of avocado oil, there’s an oil for every cooking method and recipe. Here are some different ways cooking oil can be used:
1. Frying and sautéing
Use oils with high smoke points like canola, vegetable, peanut and avocado oils for frying and sautéing to prevent burning and achieve a perfect crisp.
2. Baking
Substitute butter with coconut, canola or vegetable oil in baking recipes to achieve moist and tender baked goods.
3. Dressings and marinades
Olive oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil can be mixed with vinegar, lemon juice and herbs or spices to create flavourful dressings and marinades.
Mix EVOO with balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey and herbs for a quick and healthy dressing. Or simply add a drizzle to your salad for a delicious and healthy dressing.
Use olive oil as a base for marinades. Combine with lemon juice, garlic, and spices for marinating meats, seafood and vegetables.
4. Grilling and roasting
Brush meats, fish and vegetables with high smoke point oils like avocado or sunflower oil before grilling to prevent sticking and add subtle flavour.
Toss your favourite vegetables in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for a healthy side dish.
5. Finishing
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, or toasted sesame oil over finished dishes to enhance the taste and add a gourmet touch. Or drizzle it over cooked pasta, mix with garlic, chili flakes and parmesan for a simple yet delicious meal.
6. Stir-frying
Use sesame or peanut oil for stir-frying to impart authentic flavours and withstand the high heat of wok cooking.
7. Dipping sauce
Combine EVOO with minced garlic, fresh herbs, and a pinch of sea salt for a delicious bread dip.