Walnut Oil

Name: Walnut oil, pressed from walnuts (Juglans regia, the common or English walnut).

Description

Walnuts have been cultivated for thousands of years, with the Greeks believed to be among the first to grow them and Persian cultivation credited with developing the larger, higher-quality walnut varieties common today. Walnuts became especially prized in France from the 14th century onward, and by the late 1600s were a French culinary staple; Franciscan missionaries later brought walnut trees to California in the late 1700s, which now supplies the large majority of the world's walnut trade.

Traditional walnut oil production grinds the nut flesh into a paste, roasts it, and presses it hydraulically — roasting is generally considered to produce a higher-quality, more flavourful oil.

Main nutrition value

Like all pure oils, walnut oil is essentially 100% fat and around 884 kcal per 100g. It is unusually rich in polyunsaturated fat, around 72% of its total, including a notably high share of the plant-based omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (around 14%) alongside linoleic acid (around 58%) and a smaller amount of monounsaturated and saturated fat.

How best to be consumed

Walnut oil's delicate, nutty flavour and rich polyunsaturated fat content make it best suited to cold or low-heat use.

1. Use raw in dressings, drizzled over salads, or finishing roasted vegetables.
2. Avoid high-heat cooking, since heating tends to dull its flavour and can produce a slight bitterness.
3. Store in the refrigerator after opening to slow oxidation, given its high polyunsaturated fat content.
4. Buy in small quantities, since its delicate flavour and nutritional quality are best when fresh.

Overconsumption could cause…

Walnut oil's main considerations mirror those of other rich-in-polyunsaturated-fat oils.

1. Excess calorie intake if used generously, since a tablespoon carries well over 100 kcal.
2. Consuming oxidised (rancid) oil if it's stored improperly or heated, given its high polyunsaturated fat content.
3. Tree nut allergy in people sensitive to walnuts, since the oil is pressed directly from the nut.

GroupsPlant/Fruit OilsWalnut family (Juglandaceae)High saturated fatLow sodium

Made fromWalnuts

Related foodsAvacado OilFlaxseed OilGrapeseed OilMustard OilPalm OilRice Bran Oil

Wikipedia — Walnut oil, used for production method and fatty acid composition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walnut_oil