Chinese Oils

Chinese Oils

What kinds of oils are used for stir-frying?

Because stir-frying involves cooking food at high heats, it’s important to choose oil that has a high smoke point. Oil that is heated to its smoke point or higher will impart a bitter taste to the food.

Chinese cooks like to use peanut oil, which has a high smoke point and a pleasant nutty flavor, for both stir- and deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor, is also a good choice. Other possibilities include corn, soybean, and coconut oil. Grapeseed oil is becoming more popular, as it has a clean flavour and high smoke point. Olive oil is not generally used, as it has a strong flavour not generally found in Chinese cuisine.

Sesame oil, with its strong flavour, is used primarily as a seasoning and added to a dish at the end of cooking.