Canola Oil

This oil comes from the seed of the canola plant. Canola was developed in Canada in the late 1970's from conventional plant breeding from the rapeseed plant. Rape is the Latin word for turnip. Plant breeders bred this variation to make an oil from the rapeseed plant which contained less erucic acid than rapeseed oil. This new plant was called canola which was taken from the words Canadian oil and low acid.

Canola oil happens to be a wonderful oil for cooking and baking. Many health experts recommend canola oil and olive oil to be the only oils you need in your pantry. This is because both oils are high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. Canola oil also has a higher level of omega 3 fatty acids than many other oils. It also has the benefit of being relatively stable at high heat, also known as a high 'smoke point'. Canola oil also has a very neutral flavor which makes it a great oil in vegan baking applications. This is why you frequently see it used as the main fat in vegan baked goods.