Month: August 2021

Malaysian Red Palm Oil: The Lesser Known Premium Cooking Oil

Have you ever heard of Malaysian Red Palm Oil (RPO)? Over the years, while great attention has been given to regular golden palm oil, many have overlooked or have not been aware of the presence of nutrient-dense RPO.

WHAT IS RED PALM OIL?

Similar to Crude Palm Oil (CPO), RPO is extracted from the flesh of the oil palm fruit.  It is produced through a special refining method that can retain 80% of the carotenoids and vitamins present in CPO. Thus, it is rich in phytonutrients such as carotene (which gives the oil its brilliant red color), vitamin E, phytosterols, squalene, and coenzyme Q₁₀¹.

RICH IN CAROTENOIDS AND VITAMIN E TOCOTRIENOLS

Carotenoids are the most widely distributed pigments in nature and are the source of yellow, orange, and red colors in many plants. They can be broadly classified as carotene and xanthophylls. There are 13 types of carotenoids found in palm oil, and α-carotene and β-carotene are the major carotenes in commercial RPO. Carotene particularly strengthens the body’s immune system, helps boost heart health, and may help reduce the risk of cancer. For growing children, it supports better eye health, growth, and development. RPO is known to have the highest content of provitamin A amongst other vegetable oils.

What is provitamin A? The term provitamin means that it acts as a vitamin precursor. Once ingested, our body will then convert provitamin A into vitamin A. You may be surprised to know that  RPO contains more provitamin A than other plant sources such as fruits and vegetables!

Vitamin E tocotrienols are rarely found in food sources or vegetable oils, but they can be found in abundance in rice bran and palm oil. One of the most well-known effects of vitamin E is its antioxidant capability. Indeed, tocotrienol has a much stronger antioxidant effect than tocopherol. Vitamin E tocotrienols have numerous health benefits that include its potential protection against stroke and cardiovascular diseases, supporting liver health, and exhibiting potential anti-cancer properties³.

BE CREATIVE IN YOUR KITCHEN WITH RPO

RPO has a smoke point of 232°C. Therefore RPO remains stable at high temperatures, hence it is suitable for sautéing and frying. RPO can be used for stir-frying, baking, and roasting, as well as other food preparation methods that require minimal heating. This will minimize the loss of nutrients present in RPO. The beautiful red hue of RPO is a feast for the eyes and will help whet the appetite of guests in the kitchen, therefore it is recommended to incorporate RPO in sauces, dressings, and gravies. Salad dressing is the most popular application of RPO as an alternative to other oils. You can also try adding RPO in mayonnaise or honey-mustard dressing for an interesting variation.

In main courses, you can use RPO as an alternative to olive oil when cooking your pasta as well as for stir-frying your favorite vegetables. Apart from that, for ice cream lovers, adding RPO when making ice cream is considered a creative take on enjoying your usual ice cream. You can add some RPO, milk, sugar, thickened cream, and yogurt to your ice cream mix and this will result in a very creamy texture. To finish it up, add your preferred fruits such as mango, orange, strawberry, or dragonfruit. You can also add RPO when making cakes, muffins, bread, biscuits, and brownies to provide excellent texture and high nutrient value.

RPO ENHANCES THE COLOR AND TASTE OF YOUR FOOD

Apart from being used as a natural food colorant, RPO is also used to add nutritional value and to improve the shelf-life of food products as it is resistant to oxidation. It does not easily turn rancid.

In tantalizing the taste buds, color does play an important role in the overall acceptance of food⁴. The use of RPO gives a richer hue to dishes such as fried rice, scrambled eggs, chili gravy, and curry as they will be visually more attractive with a more intense red color.

Have a bottle of the Malaysian RPO in your kitchen as it has been proven to offer many health benefits and is widely used in various recipes. For recipe ideas, you can find some Malaysian RPO recipes in the links below:

• Black Snapper Ceviche with Orange & Red Palm Oil
• Red Palm Oil Focaccia
• Smoked Salmon Spaghetti Aglio Olio
• Saffron Arancini with Arrabiata Sauce

Go and try them now!!

References:

1. Ooi CK, Choo YM, and Ong ASH. (1991). Recovery of carotenoids. US Patent No. 5019668.
2. Scrimshaw NS. (2000). Nutritional potential of red palm oil for combating vitamin A deficiency. Food Nutr Bull 21:195-201.
3. Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Prasad S and Kannapan R. (2010). Tocotrienols, the Vitamin E of the 21^st Century: Its Potential Against Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases. Biochem Pharmacol 80(11): 1613-1631.
4. Imram, N. (1999). The role of visual cues in consumer perception and acceptance of a food product. Nutrition & Food Science, 224-228.

This article was provided by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council. Visit Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s website and follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to learn more about palm oil’s nutritional and economical advantages as well as environmental sustainability.

Gazpacho Salted Granita and Sea Asparagus Sorbet

Federazione Italiana Cuochi member Chef Maurizio Valguarnera shares a new recipe. An ice cream expert, Chef Maurizio has put together a delicious, plant-forward summer dish, complete with a savory sorbet like you’ve never had before. Buon appetito!

Sea Asparagus Sorbet

• water 511.3 g
• trehalose 246.3 g
• sea ​​asparagus (salicornia cress or salty fingers) g 216.5
• inulin fiber g 21.6
• neutro (caruba flour) g 4.3

Add all the ingredients described and emulsify with an immersion blender. Heat all the ingredients except the sea asparagus, then cool the mixture to +4°C by blending the sea asparagus inside, and let it mature for at least 12 hours. Once this is done, whisk the mixture until you reach the optimal consistency of the sorbet.

Gazpacho Salted Granita

• coppery tomato 400 g
• trehalose 150 g
• pepper 100 g
• cucumber 100 g
• water 100 g
• red onion 60 g
• EVO oil 40 g
• fleur de sel from Trapani 3 g
• neutro (caruba flour) 3 g
• basil to taste
• Tabasco drops to taste

Cut the tomatoes (without seeds and the white part) into pieces, add the rest of the ingredients (peppers, cucumbers, onion, and basil), add the required amount of water, EVO oil, fleur de sel from Trapani, neutro, and a few drops of Tabasco.

Put all the ingredients in a turbo mixer and blend for a few minutes to obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream. Pour the mixture obtained into the ice cream maker, stir until the consistency of traditional Sicilian granita is obtained.

Finishing and Decoration

• pepper and cucumber cubes
• radish buds
• bread chip and cubes

Pour the granita into a crystal bowl until it almost reaches the edge.

Arrange pepper and cucumber cubes on the surface. Place a scoop of sea asparagus sorbet in the center and place a bread chip on top and pour a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. Complete the bowl with toasted bread cubes and radish sprouts.

About the Chef

Maurizio Valguarnera was born and lives in Palermo. He is an ice-chef member of F.I.C. (Federazione Italiana Cuochi) and collaborates with the Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of Palermo, with which he has a memorandum of understanding for research and development.

Chef Maurizio created “GELATO OFFICINALE”, a project for the production of nutraceutical, functional, vegan, and organic ice cream. Together with the University of Palermo and the working group for the promotion of the Diaita Mediterranean Diet, they promote a healthy and correct diet through conferences and seminars, with a focus on the main nutritional elements.

A chef and an educator, Valguarnera is a teacher at VEGANOK ACADEMY, Gambero Rosso Academy Teacher of Vegan Courses, and Expocook Academy Teacher.

Chef Maurizio has held masterclasses and courses on plant-based ice creams. Ambassador for Assovegan Sicila, he participated in the first Vegan Competition Seminar in the world that took place in Palermo, organized by the Worldchefs. He is also a Worldchefs Certified International Judge with a specialization in vegan and plant-based cuisine.

For more from Chef Maurizio Valguarnera, follow him on Facebook.