Well, here's the scoop... All cooking oils have qualities that make them particularly suited to specific recipes - and diets.
COCONUT OIL -
contains about 90% saturated fat. It is much more shelf stable than unsaturated oils and has a smoke point of 350 F. Recent research suggests that hydrogenated coconut oil increases the risk of heart disease, but unhydrogenated, virgin coconut oil does not. Coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride, unlike most other oils which are long-chain triglyceride. MCT’s are broken down faster than LCT’s, making them more easily digested and utilised.
OLIVE OIL -
has a sweetish, nutty flavour and a golden or straw colour. It contains mostly monounsaturated fatty acids and becomes semisolid when refrigerated. Virgin olive oil is the oil that is skimmed off after olives are crushed and the pulp settles, making it a true cold-pressed oil.
PEANUT OIL -
contains about 30% polyunsaturated 45% monounsaturated. Peanut oil has less vitamin E than other oils, but it has a high smoke point of 440 to 470 F.
SAFFLOWER OIL -
has a mild, slightly nutty and earthy flavour. It contains 78% polyunsaturated and 6% saturated. The remaining fatty acids are monounsaturated. Its smoke point is high, 440 to 480 F, which makes it suitable for deep-fat fraying.
SESAME OIL -
is dark yellow to amber in its unrefined state, with a pleasant, mild flavour. Its smoke point is 465 F and it contains about 42-44% polyunsaturated fatty acids and 13-14% saturated fatty acids. Vitamin E is also present.
SUNFLOWER OIL -
is light amber in colour and has a distinctive flavour. It contains about 75% polyunsaturated fatty acids and 8% satured fatty acids.