Name: Rapeseed oil, pressed from the seeds of the rape plant (Brassica napus or Brassica rapa) — the same species from which canola was bred. In the United Kingdom and much of Europe, “rapeseed oil” sold for cooking is generally the modern, low-erucic-acid type, nutritionally equivalent to what North America calls canola oil; see the separate canola oil page for that breeding history.
Description
Rapeseed has been grown in Europe and Asia for centuries, originally mainly for lamp oil and industrial uses, since traditional rapeseed varieties were high in erucic acid and not well suited to food. The same plant breeding that produced Canadian canola in the 1960s and 70s — selecting for low erucic acid and low glucosinolates — was adopted across European rapeseed production too, so most rapeseed oil sold for cooking today is this modern, edible type rather than the traditional high-erucic crop.
Main nutrition value
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Like all pure oils, rapeseed oil is essentially 100% fat and around 884 kcal per 100g. Modern edible rapeseed oil has one of the lowest saturated fat contents of any common cooking oil, with a favourable mix of monounsaturated fat and the essential omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats — the same profile as canola oil, since they are the same low-erucic-acid crop.
How best to be consumed
Rapeseed oil's neutral flavour and high smoke point make it a versatile everyday cooking oil, much like canola.
- Use for everyday sautéing, roasting and baking, where its neutral flavour and high smoke point suit most cooking methods.
- Choose cold-pressed rapeseed oil, increasingly sold in the UK and Europe, for a more golden colour and slightly nutty flavour than refined versions.
- Store away from heat and light to slow oxidation, as with any oil.
- Check that the product is intended for food use, since traditional high-erucic-acid rapeseed oil (sold for industrial purposes) is not meant to be eaten.
Overconsumption could cause…
For the modern, edible rapeseed oil sold in food shops, the main consideration is the same as for any oil.
- Excess calorie intake if used generously, since a tablespoon carries well over 100 kcal.
- No specific health risk beyond that of dietary fat in general, provided the oil is a food-grade, low-erucic-acid product rather than the traditional industrial type.
Wikipedia — Canola, used for the relationship between rapeseed and canola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola
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