7. Oil & Vinegar
Today's directions: Just add oil!
Oil & Vinegar go together like salt and pepper and are essential ingredients for cooking and seasoning. There are way more different types of Oil and Vinegar than you can imagine. Also different Asian countries and cuisines favour different kinds. Have a look below and find out more..
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OIL
Several edible vegetable and animal oils, and also fats, are used for various purposes in cooking and food preparation. In particular, many foods are fried in oil which gets much hotter than boiling water. Oils are also used for flavouring and for modifying the texture of foods (e.g. Stir Fry). Cooking oils are derived either from animal fat, as butter, lard and other types, or plant oils from the olive, maize, sunflower and many other species.
Sesame Oil is an essential in the Asian kitchen and is mainly used in cold dishes like salads or for marinating meats. It is prized for its delicious flavour. Asian Sesame Oil is pressed out of pealed, roasted sesame (white or black) seeds. The colour is quite dark with an intense nutty taste. The lighter Sesame Oil is pressed out of unpealed, roasted sesame seeds. This kind of oil is has a lighter colour and is also softer in taste. The Asian Sesame Oil is often used to give a dish extra flavour and is not suitable for strir-frying or baking because it burns quickly and that kills the unique taste. The lighter, less flavourful Sesame Oil however is suitable for frying or baking.
Palm Oil is an edible vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of the African oil palm and is naturally reddish in colour because of a high beta-carotene content. Palm Oil has a pleasant aroma and a slightly sweet taste. The oil is heat and oxidation resistant and ideal for baking, roasting, and frying. However it is mainly used for cooking and frying in the African and Asian cuisine. In Europe, this oil is also used for making margarine because of its buttery taste.
Palm Oil can be found as an ingredient in many products such as cosmetics and biscuits, since it is relatively cheap. Palm oil does not have the best reputation nowadays, mainly for environmental reasons. The high demand is leading to rainforest being cut down. They are however working on a eco-friendly way to produce Palm Oil.
SESAME OIL
PALM OIL
RICE OIL
The possibilities of Rice Oil are endless, it can be used to wok, fry, but is also suitable as dressing over a salad. The oil is drawn from the membrane between the shell and the rice grain, while retaining the vitamins, resulting in a healthy oil with many different uses. Rice Oil has a higher smoke point than for example extra Virgin Olive Oil (160°C) and is comparable to that of Peanut Oil (232°C). Rice oil has a nice neutral taste (at most a little nutty) and is therefore very suitable for baking, stir-frying and frying. Rice oil is also suitable for making delicious mayonnaise or vinaigrette. Below 7°C, the oil can become opaque, but this disappears again at room temperature, without influencing the taste or quality. Simply keep outside the fridge.
SOY OIL
Soy Oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the Soy Bean and is favoured for its versatility. Soy Bean Oil originally comes from Northeast Asia but in the meantime, this oil is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. The oil is very suitable for roasting and deep-frying due to its high smoking point. The flavour is neutral and mild and often used in salads or for the preparation of marinades.
COCONUT OIL
Coconut Oil (or better said: coconut fat) is pressed from the copra, the dried, white flesh of a ripe Coconut. You can divide coconut oil into 2 types:
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unrefined: fragrant, melts at 24-26°C, boiling point is around 170°C
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refined: odourless, melts at 30-37°C, boiling point is around 230°C
Both oils are suitable for baking but only refined Coconut Oil is suitable for deep-frying.
Fluid and liquid coconut oil looks colourless whilst solidified coconut oil is white coloured. Like butter, coconut oil consists of as much as 85% saturated fat and is therefore called unhealthy by the Dutch nutrition centre, although many experts claim the opposite. Some even consider Coconut Oil, the unrefined type, to be super food. You can usually keep Coconut Oil up to two years, even outside the fridge, without it losing its flavour.
CHILLI OIL
Chilli Oil is a popular herbal oil in Asia and in southern European countries. Chilli Oil is made of Chilli Seed Oil (often combined with Soy Oil) and some Chilli Paste and has a fiery hot taste. Chilli oil can be used as an excellent condiment for all kinds of dishes, especially for cold salads, marinades or noodle dishes. Hot Chilli goes very well with various ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables and tofu.
GINGER OIL
Ginger Oil is an aromatic, warm, spicy, and energizing oil that comes from the ginger root and is used for seasoning and intensifying flavours. Ginger Oil has a thin consistency and is light yellow in colour, with a pleasantly pungent aroma. Pure Ginger Oil is unsuitable for cooking and is therefore often combined with other oils to make it suitable. The Double Pagoda Ginger Oil (art. 10520) in the H&S assortment is distilled with Canola oil and Soy Bean Oil. It smells wonderfully fresh and fruity, with notes of lemon and is ideally suited for use in salad dressings and seafood.
PEANUT OIL
Peanut or Groundnut Oil is a clear, pale yellow oil, extracted from natural peanuts and has a slightly fruity aroma. It is famous for its high smoke point, although it is the same as refined Corn Oil, Sunflower Oil or Soy oil, namely 232°C. Suitable for stir-frying, baking, grilling and deep-frying, but also delicious in cold sauces and dressings. Below 12°C it becomes lumpy and non-transparent, but this does not affect its taste. At room temperature it regains its former colour and structure. Groundnut Oil has very long shelf life and can be stored for several months in a dark place.
ALMOND OIL
Almond Oil, pressed from almonds, is odourless, slightly sweet flavoured and has existed for thousands of years in Asian cuisine. Almond Oil is an edible and healthier alternative to many other cooking oils. Its mild flavour is ideal for flavouring salads, fish dishes, desserts, and for stir-fry foods.
GHEE
Heuschen & Schrouff sells two types of Ghee: Vegetable Ghee made from Palm Oil (vegan) or Ghee made ​​from milk fat. It is one of India’s most important edible fats and a favoured component in Indian cooking. The consistency and taste are similar to clarified butter. Ghee has two advantages over regular butter: you can heat it longer and harder before it burns and it keeps longer. Ghee is used for frying or even deep-frying, as its smoke point is 250°C, which is higher than for many oils.
VINEGAR
According to the Dutch VanDale, the meaning of Vinegar is: 'acetic acid greatly diluted with water'. Acetic acid arises naturally when juice ferments and thus becomes alcohol. In this process a certain bacterium is released (the Acetobacter) that transforms alcohol into Vinegar. Vinegar that is created in such a natural way is called natural Vinegar, all types of Vinegar that are used for cooking purposes are natural Vinegars.
Those who have tasted Vinegar before can agree that it usually has a complex taste with a predominant 'acidity'. The acidity of Vinegar gives ingredients a different texture and makes it easier to absorb the taste of herbs and spices - ideal in the kitchen.
CANE VINEGAR
Cane Vinegar is made from the syrup from sugar cane. The cane is harvested, crushed to extract the juice, simmered down into a syrup, and the syrup fermented into vinegar. It is used worldwide as a herbal seasoning, but is very popular in the Philippines. Cane Vinegar is made from natural ingredients, has a natural acidity of about 4.5% and a mild and malty taste. The Vinegar is no sweeter than other types of Vinegar. This Vinegar is often used in dishes with sweet and sour sauces. In Filipino cooking, one of the classic dishes is adobo, a dish of chicken and pork simmered in Vinegar, bay leaves, garlic and spices served over rice.
COCONUT VINEGAR
Coconut Vinegar is made of fermented juice from the coconut palm and can be refined with sugar. It is very popular to use in Southeast Asia and some regions of India. Coconut vinegar has a cloudy, white appearance and a slightly milder taste than Apple Vinegar. It can add a touch of sweetness to salad dressings, marinades, soups and warm dishes. The particularly mild vinegar is great for preparing dipping sauces for seafood and for refining salads.
APPLE VINEGAR
Apple Vinegar has been popular in Korean cuisine for a very long time. This vinegar is used as an herbal seasoning for cold foods such as radish salad. Moreover, Apple Vinegar is ideal for preparing meat and fish marinades and sauces. The mildly spicy and slightly sweet taste gives every Korean dish an unmistakable good taste.
DISTILLED VINEGAR
Distilled Vinegar, also known as Virgin Vinegar, can be made from almost any Vinegar, such as: Rice, Malt, Wine, Fruit, Balsamic, Apple, Cane and many more. The name might suggest it: this Vinegar is distilled from ethanol. ‘Distilled’ meaning that the liquid component is separated from the base mixture. Distilled vinegar is colourless and with a 5-8% acetic acid in the water, relatively weaker than White or Spirit Vinegar. It has a subtle soft sour taste. The product can add a sour taste to every meal and it can be used as a marinade to make meat dishes more tender.
RICE VINEGAR
East Asian Rice Vinegar is a lot milder (read: less acidic) than standard Vinegar. For comparison: Rice Vinegar contains only 3 to 4 per cent acetic acid while western Vinegars usually contain 5 to 6 per cent acetic acid. The best known Rice Vinegars often come from Japan or China.
Chinese Rice Vinegar
Chinese White Rice Vinegar is most commonly used and is very mild. It combines well with light and sweet-sour dishes. Chinese Black Rice Vinegar has a very pronounced flavour and is indispensable in Chinese cuisine. The vinegar is very spicy and has a complexity of flavours that may remind many Europeans of Balsamic.
Japanese Rice vinegar
When making Japanese Rice Vinegar, wheat and/or Sake are often added. Japanese Rice Vinegar has a milder taste than Chinese Rice Vinegar and is often lighter in colour, this is due to the type of rice that is used.
MIRIN
Mirin is a traditional Japanese Cooking Wine made from glutinous rice and is not meant to drink. The flavour is quite similar to Sake but with a lower alcohol percentage and more sugar. Mirin is a popular ingredient in Asian sauces and marinades due to its strong umami flavour and is indispensable in every Japanese kitchen. Mirin is used among other things for the preparation of Sushi Rice, Miso Soup and Sauce Teriyaki.
