Cooking oil
Cooking oil is edible fat, usually liquid at room temperature, used to fry, sauté, bake, or dress food. It may come from plants, animals, or algae.
Deep frying: A cooking method that submerges food in hot oil or fat. Oil transfers heat rapidly while forming a crisp surface around submerged food.
Triglyceride: A molecule consisting of glycerol bonded to three fatty acids. Most cooking oil consists chiefly of triglycerides.
Heat transfer: The movement of thermal energy between materials or regions at different temperatures. Hot oil cooks food by transferring energy across its surface and into its interior.
Butter: A dairy fat made by churning cream, containing milk fat, water, and small amounts of milk solids. Butter adds dairy flavor but its water and milk solids behave differently from oil under heat.
Mediterranean diet: An eating pattern associated with Mediterranean regions, emphasizing plant foods, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish and dairy. Olive oil is a central fat source in this widely studied dietary pattern.
Sautéing: A cooking method that quickly cooks food in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat. A thin film of oil helps brown food without submerging it.
Fatty acid: A carboxylic acid with a hydrocarbon chain, a major component of fats and oils. Its chain length and saturation shape an oil’s physical and chemical properties.
Maillard reaction: A set of reactions between amino compounds and reducing sugars that produce browning and complex flavors. Oil enables high-temperature cooking, while food-surface conditions drive much of the browning.
Lard: Rendered fat from pigs, used in cooking and baking. Lard is an animal-derived cooking fat that is usually solid at room temperature.
Trans fat: Unsaturated fat containing at least one trans-configured carbon–carbon double bond. Partial hydrogenation once created trans fats in some cooking oils, prompting major health restrictions.