Fat
Neutral oil
Also called vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil
A neutral high-heat oil — canola, sunflower, grapeseed or a blended tin — used when you want fat without olive fruit or sesame perfume. Korean frying and jeon assume this, not extra-virgin olive oil.
Origin
Industrial seed-oil pressing, now global. The bottle is a twentieth-century pantry default, replacing lard or cheaper local fats in a lot of home frying.
Flavour
Quiet, if fresh. Stale oil tastes of crayons and hangs on fried food. A good frying oil should disappear behind the batter.
How it is made
Seeds are crushed and usually refined, bleached and deodorised so the smoke point rises and the flavour drops. Cold-pressed seed oils exist but are not what you want for a wok at volume.
How to use it
Heat the oil until a crumb of batter sizzles immediately, then fry in batches so the temperature does not collapse. For jeon, a shallow film is enough; for Korean fried chicken, a deeper pot and a double fry. Do not pour olive oil into a ripping wok — it smokes and tastes harsh. Toasted sesame oil is a finisher, not a frying medium.
Storage
Cool, dark cupboard, cap tight. Light and heat turn it rancid.
Recipes using it
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