palm oil

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil obtained from the flesh of the fruit of the oil palm, particularly Elaeis guineensis, a species native to West and Central Africa. Unrefined palm oil has a characteristic red-orange colour, a rich flavour and a relatively thick consistency, while refined palm oil is paler and more neutral in taste.

As a cooking ingredient, palm oil is used for frying, sautéing and preparing soups, sauces and stews. Red palm oil is particularly important in many West and Central African cuisines, where it contributes both flavour and colour to traditional dishes.

Palm oil should not be confused with palm kernel oil, which is extracted from the seed or kernel of the same fruit and has different culinary properties.