Reflections | How sesame oil sparked a stir-fry revolution in ancient China as it displaced animal fats
When vegetable fats, especially sesame oil, replaced tallow and lard 1,500 years ago in China, people were able to ‘fry everything’, and did
Guests at a recent housewarming dinner were saying how delicious the butter was when someone mentioned margarine and remarked that the greasy abomination should be consigned to the kitchen bin of history.
I am old enough to remember a time when margarine, which is made from processed vegetable oils, was marketed as a “healthier” alternative to butter. We tried it for a while at home, but nobody liked it and we never bought another tub again.
According to him, palm oil has been unfairly vilified, especially by Western media. So successful is the anti-palm oil campaign, waged in no small measure by edible-oil producers in Europe and North America, that any mention of palm oil immediately conjures up negative connotations for most people.
I am one of those people. But that evening, my friend made a compelling argument for palm oil, acknowledging the industry’s past excesses while enlightening us on its present-day commitment to ethical, sustainable practices.
Edible oil for cooking is the third of the “seven necessities” in traditional Chinese homes, the other six being firewood, rice, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea.