Cooking Chinese Food With Olive Oil Boosts Flavour And Wellness
Updated March 28th 2023
Contents:
- Benefits of Chinese Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Practical Uses Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Chinese Cooking
- Chinese New Year Cooking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Frying With Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Don’t Be Afraid!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Reduces Risk Factors Of Fried Foods
Benefits of Chinese Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
From classic stir-fries that are fried in extra virgin olive oil, to marinating with extra virgin olive oil for more flavorful meats, there are countless ways extra virgin olive oil can be used for Chinese cooking. It not only adds incredible flavor profiles, but it also offers unique health benefits compared to other cooking oils.
In addition to its mild taste, extra virgin olive oil is packed full of antioxidants which may help reduce your risk of developing certain diseases; it also has anti-inflammatory properties which contributes to a healthier heart and blood pressure. So why not try using extra virgin olive oil in your next Chinese cooking adventure?
Practical Uses Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Chinese Cooking
Olive oil has long been a staple in Chinese cooking and for good reason. extra-virgin olive oil is the perfect choice for traditional Chinese recipes, due to its mild flavour and ability to stand up to high temperatures. It’s great for frying, as it has a high smoke point compared to other cooking oils.
Extra virgin olive oil is a great ingredient to add to Chinese cooking. It’s incredibly versatile, and brings flavour to all types of dishes. Many people associate extra virgin olive oil with Mediterranean cuisine, but it can be just as useful in Chinese cooking. By adding a small amount of extra virgin olive oil, you can enhance the flavours in your dishes and create complex textures.
Chinese New Year Cooking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chinese celebrations are often time to reflect on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and adding extra virign olive oil to your Chinese cooking is a great way to boost your health for the year ahead.
Many of the celebrations to welcome the new lunar year on February 1st revolve around a Chinese feast and using a quality extra virgin olive oil is a great way to support your health and happiness.
According to Forbes, Chinese New Year is a great time to shake up your wellness routine so why not start with adding a polyphenol-packed health boost to your wok or deep fryer.
Frying With Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Don’t Be Afraid!
With much Chinese cooking involving fried foods cooked at high temperatures, some may consider the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil when choosing a cooking fat for their Asian feast. But fear not! The Morocco Gold team are on hand to reassure you that extra virgin olive oil can be used for Chinese cooking.
Contrary to some beliefs, however, high quality extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold is a great choice for many cooking methods as its smoke point is somewhere around 374 – 405 °F (190–207°C). As explained by the Olive Wellness Institute, Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains high levels of natural antioxidants. These antioxidants protect the naturally stable oil when heated, making Extra Virgin Olive Oil a very healthy option to cook with (including deep frying, pan frying, sauteing and oven baking).
Over recent years, China has joined much of the rest of the world in appreciating the health benefits of olive oil and, according to a report in The Olive Oil Times, it was initially adopted for use in cold dishes. In an interview with Xinhua News, Tian Qiuming, the executive chef of the Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, backed the use of olive oil for cooking Chinese food.
“Apart from use in cold dishes, olive oil is especially suitable for stewing, braising, and earthen pot cooking,” Tian said. “The ingredients don’t absorb large amounts of olive oil as they do with other types, which will help reduce calories.”
Tian added that the higher temperatures cause the formation of a protective layer around the ingredients.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Reduces Risk Factors Of Fried Foods
Deep fried foods form a core part of many international cuisines, including Chinese cooking. However, they are also known to increase risk factors associated with heart disease and other common health complaints.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to consider your choice of fat for frying foods carefully. One important factor to consider when making the switch to olive oil is to find a cold pressed oil, such as Morocco Gold. This will ensure you are picking the highest grade of olive oil as both virgin and extra virgin olive oils are always cold pressed.
Healthline gives you a breakdown of the 13 main benefits of using cold pressed olive oil for frying food but the key thing to remember is that cold pressing helps olives hold on to their nutritional value and antioxidants which are more likely to break down under heat.
Keen To Fry With Olive Oil? What are You waiting for!
If you are keen to do a lot more cooking at home, then there’s an essential ingredient that you simply have to make sure that you always have in the cupboard… and that’s extra virgin olive oil.As cooking oils go, this is definitely up there with the best and you’ll notice its taste in food immediately, whether you choose to heat it up for frying or sauteing, if you prefer to drizzle it over your favourite Mediterranean salad, use it instead of butter, feature it in a marinade… you’ve got a lot of options ahead of you to explore!
It’s so versatile that you can use it in both savoury and sweet dishes, so why don’t you try baking with it, as well as cooking? It’s actually a healthier option than butter so if that’s a concern for you this January, try it instead in your homemade cakes and biscuits, and see what you think.
When heating it in a pan on the hob, however, do be mindful of the smoke point. This is the temperature at which oil will start to burn and smoke. If you served something that had been cooked in oil to this point, you’d likely be able to taste a burnt flavour. Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than other oils, so take care in the kitchen.
One of the very best ways to enjoy this particular type of oil is to drizzle it over salads so you can really taste its delicious flavour. And always have some oil and balsamic vinegar on your dinner table so you can dip bread in it whenever the feeling takes you!
If you want any more tips for cooking amazing dishes, including Chinese food, with olive oil check out our recipe section now!
Happy frying.
