Came across a recipe today that called for “grape-seed oil”. I’ve never heard of it before, and the two grocery stores I went to didn’t have it.
So what is grape-seed oil? besides coming from grape-seeds, what’s so special about it? does it have a particular flavour or something? what role does it play in cookery? and where can I get me some? a Chinese market? Indian? if I can’t find any, what can I use as a substitute?
It has a high smoke point, so it’s nice for cooking. It doesn’t break down under heat as quickly as many oils.
I don’t really notice a particular flavor that it imparts, but my senses of smell and taste aren’t very acute.
It’s a good oil. High in mono-unsaturated fats. Olive is probably the best substitute.
Julie
Grape-seed oil is oil extracted from… (drumroll) grape seeds!
This is a European product, hence Chinese or Indian stores wouldn’t be the place to look for it. Regular supermarkets might/should have some. If not, look at more “gourmet” stores.
Grape-seed oil is relatively neutral. That is, you would use it when you do not want the taste of the oil to mask that of other ingredients.
Grape-seed oil is your best choice if you are making your own mayonnaise sauce, as it yields a more pleasent texture that doesn’t congeal as much when refrigerated.
Olive oil is not a good substitute, IMO. Its flavour is much too strong and might ruin your recipe.
Grapeseed oil, because of its almost total lack of scent, makes a wonderful massage oil. The client won’t walk out of your clinic smelling like a Greek salad. It’s also a good carrier oil for essential oils if you’re into aromatherapy massage.
Not to be confused with rapeseed oil, sold under the name “Canola.”