Palm Oil
Also called red palm oil, dende oil
A fat pressed from the fruit of the oil palm. The unrefined red kind is orange from carotenoids and tastes earthy and savory. It is the base of many West African and Brazilian dishes.
Flavor profile
Aroma: earthy, carrot-like, rich
Good to know
Origin: West Africa
Forms: red, unrefined, refined
Storage: Store at room temperature in a sealed container away from light. It turns soft and semi-solid in a cool kitchen.
How to use palm oil
Warm It to Pour
Cool palm oil sets like soft butter. Stand the jar in warm water to melt it before measuring.
Use It as a Flavor, Not a Neutral Oil
Red palm oil tastes strongly of itself and stains everything orange. Use it where that earthy savor belongs, such as stews and sauces.
What goes with palm oil
- Scotch Bonnet. Palm oil and scotch bonnet are the base of many West African stews and sauces.
- Tomato. Palm oil's earthy richness softens tomato's acid in West African stews.
- Onion. Onion fried in palm oil is the base of countless West African stews.
- Shrimp. Palm oil and shrimp are paired in Brazilian vatapa and moqueca.
- Coconut Milk. Palm oil and coconut milk are the two fats of Brazilian moqueca.
- Chicken thigh. Palm oil's savory richness suits slow-simmered chicken thighs in stews like moambe.
- Spinach. Palm oil carries the flavor of bitter greens like spinach in West African palava sauce.
- Peanut. Peanut's roasted richness and palm oil's earthiness meet in groundnut stews.
- Sweet Potato. Sweet potato's sugars meet palm oil's earthy savor in West African stews.
- Rice. Palm oil stains and flavors rice in dishes like jollof.
Mistakes to avoid
- Swapping it into a recipe as a neutral oil.
- Buying refined palm oil and expecting the color and earthy flavor of the red kind.
Ideas for tonight
- West African pepper and tomato stew
- Brazilian shrimp stew with coconut milk
- Spinach and peanut stew finished with palm oil
Palm Oil: questions
What does palm oil taste like?
A fat pressed from the fruit of the oil palm. The unrefined red kind is orange from carotenoids and tastes earthy and savory. It is the base of many West African and Brazilian dishes. Its strongest notes are earthy, with an aroma that is earthy, carrot-like, rich.
What goes well with palm oil?
Palm Oil pairs best with scotch bonnet, tomato, onion, shrimp, coconut milk. Palm oil and scotch bonnet are the base of many West African stews and sauces.
How do you use palm oil in cooking?
Warm It to Pour: cool palm oil sets like soft butter. Stand the jar in warm water to melt it before measuring.
How should you store palm oil?
Store at room temperature in a sealed container away from light. It turns soft and semi-solid in a cool kitchen.
What is the most common mistake with palm oil?
Swapping it into a recipe as a neutral oil.
