When I used to go shopping with my mom, we would buy cooking oil that had the best price. This would range from maize seed oil to sunflower oil and anything in between. I never paid any attention to the difference in taste for as long as we had oil. Then there were the companies that would say their oils were similar to olive oil which I had no idea what it was. Honestly I think it was a marketing ploy.
You can imagine the confusion I had when I saw the oil aisle had so many kinds of oil, most I did not know existed. For a long time I would buy vegetable oil because it was most familiar to me. Now with research and practice I now stick to four oils that I use in and out of the kitchen. I use canola oil, olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and almond oil. With the exception of canola oil, all the other oils can get pricey, so I use them sparingly and buy one at a time.
Canola Oil
Canola oil like vegetable oil is neutral tasting and I use it for everyday cooking. I like it mostly for the price, it is usually the cheapest and I sometimes find it on sale. It is great for baking and deep fat frying.
Olive Oil
Olive oil has a great depth of flavour. I use it for sauteing and in dishes like stews. I would like to say I always use good quality olive oil but I don’t unless when I making a salad dressing. I also use olive oil in hair oil mix and deep conditioners.
Sesame Oil
I like using sesame oil for asian dishes and marinades. I buy a small bottle that lasts me a long time.
Coconut Oil
I use coconut oil in dishes that I want to enhance the coconut flavour. To be honest I use coconut oil more for my skin and hair than I do in the kitchen. The coconut oil in the cooking oil aisle has a better price than in the beauty shops, at least that is true for Bermuda.
There are many other oils that you can find from different plants and I heard now worms. I found this infographic from myfitnesspal.com That explains about the other oils I do not buy.
