Grape seed oil has a light nutty flavor that provides a suitable backdrop for salad dressings, flavored dipping oil and cooking. It is superior to other oil for most sauteing and frying, and nutritionally superior as well. Unfortunately, it is also much more expensive than oils more commonly used. Perhaps as more people use grape seed oil and demand rises, the price will come down.
Flavor
Grape seed oil has a very mild neutral flavor that allows the other flavors of the food to come through. Alone, it tastes very bland, with a slight nutty flavor. It is excellent in salad dressings, adding very little oily flavor of its own and showing off the herbs and spices of the dressing. Its emulsifying properties make it an excellent choice for salad dressing use as well. Grape seed oil is a good choice for use in flavored oils. Unlike olive oil, which adds its own distinctive flavor to the oil, grape seed oil allows the flavor of the ingredients to shine.
Cooking
Grape seed oil heats to a higher temperature than other oils without smoking. This property, combined with its neutral flavor, makes it perfect for frying and sauteing. The food cooks quickly, absorbing less fat and has a more natural flavor. Because it has a higher smoke point, it doesn't break down like other oils and is nutritionally more stable. It can be reused without taking on unpleasant flavors and odors.
Nutrition
Grape seed oil is pressed from the seeds of grapes used in wine-making. It contains only half the saturated fat of olive oil, making it more nutritionally desirable and is high in beneficial polyunsaturated fats. It is naturally high in vitamin E, desirable omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids and other anti-oxidants.
Grape seed oil contains traces of very powerful anti-oxidants known as proanthrocyanidins. According to Nutrition Science News, proanthrocyanidins protect the body against atherosclerosis, heart disease, and cancer. Proanthrocyanidins may also protect the body from toxins, viruses and the effects of aging.
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