Macadamia Nut Oil
And Other Nutty Flavored Gourmet Oils
Hazelnut oil is highly prized by gourmet chefs around the world. Like olive oil, hazelnut contains high levels of oleic acid which has many health benefits. Often the nutty flavored oil is used in salad dressings but goes well with many hot and cold dishes. Roasted hazelnut oil is produced in France and only recently has the hazelnut oil production process been exported to California.
Expensive and exclusive, walnut oil is treasured among fine restaurants and the home gourmet. Delicate and light in flavor and aroma, a hint of walnut makes this oil highly prized. Walnut oil is not used for high temperature cooking as high heat can decrease the oil's flavor and produce some bitterness. Mostly, walnut oil is used in cold dishes imparting delicate nutty flavor to salad dressings. The main producer of walnut oil is in France, although there are producers in California, New Zealand and Australia.
Macadamia nut oil contains an impressive 85% of healthy monounsaturated fats and is prized for its high level of beneficial Omega-7 fatty acid content. Macadamia nut oil is naturally high in antioxidants and contains over 4 times the amount of vitamin E than olive oil. Due to its high heat capacity, macadamia nut oil is ideal for frying and is also used as a salad oil for its subtle rich taste. At room temperature, the oil is clear, pale amber colored with a mild nutty aroma. With proper storage, macadamia nut oil has a shelf life of up to two years. The main producers of the popular oil are Hawaii and Australia.
Of Asian origin is sesame oil. Produced since 600 AD by Assyrians for cooking, sesame oil became one of the most expensive items in the ancient world. In Chinese and Japanese cultures the flavor highlighted regional cuisines and is also used for deep-frying. While nearly all sesame oil is produced in China or Taiwan, Japan produces very high quality varieties.
Another gourmet quality "nutty" flavored oil is grape seed oil which is extracted from grape seeds. Because of its high smoke point, grape seed oil can be safely used for cooking at high temperatures such as stir-fries and sautéing. Grape seed oil has a light taste and mild nutty flavor. It is often used for salad dressings or used for infusing with other flavorful herbs and spices. The largest producer of grape seed oil is Italy while other producers include France Spain and Argentina. It was not produced in large scale until the 1900s due to the low amount of oil the seeds produce.