Ready Reference Files

Canola Oil

Canola oil [kan-OH-luh] "The market name for rapeseed oil which, as might be assumed from the name, is expressed from rape seeds. For obvious reasons, the name was changed to canola by the Canadian seed-oil industry. Canola is, in fact, Canada's most widely used oil. It's commonly referred to there as lear oil, for "low erucic acid rapeseed" oil. The popularity of canola oil is rising fast in the United States, probably because it's been discovered to be lower in saturated fat (about 6 percent) than any other oil. This compares to the saturated fat content of peanut oil (about 18 percent) and palm oil (at an incredibly high 79 percent). Another canola oil selling point is that it contains more cholesterol-balancing monounsaturated fat than any oil except olive oil. It also has the distinction of containing Omega-3 fatty acids, the wonder polyunsaturated fat reputed to not only lower both cholesterol and triglycerides, but to contribute to brain growth and development as well. The bland-tasting canola oil is suitable both for cooking and for salad dressings." -- from The Food Lover's Companion, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

See also: "A card game? No, cooking oil: canola is the latest love of the cholesterol-free set". Time, November 12, 1990, p. 107.

Source: Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion : Comprehensive Definitions of Over 3000 Food, Wine, and Culinary Terms. Barron's, New York, 1990. ( 641.5 h31)

Verified by: GM, 5/98

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