식용유

Taste and Texture

Generally, neutral cooking oils have weak flavor and aroma, so they do not overpower the flavors of ingredients like garlic, soy sauce, gochujang, or spices. Oils with inherent aroma can add nuttiness or fragrance, making the dish feel different even at the same amount. Oil coats the surface of ingredients smoothly and helps control moisture evaporation, influencing the gloss of sautéed vegetables and the crispness of roasted items. Using too much oil can make sauces thin and greasy, so when cooking ingredients with high moisture, it’s better to start with a small amount and adjust.

Main uses

• Spread thinly in a pan to prevent sticking of eggs, tofu, fish, meat, and vegetables for pan-frying or sautéing.
• Use to sauté ingredients that release aroma, such as garlic, scallions, onions, or chili pepper flakes, to perfume the dish. If the ingredients brown too quickly, reduce heat to reduce bitterness.
• When making batter-based dishes like buchim or jeon, oil helps achieve even browning and crisp edges.
• In frying, it serves as the cooking medium that rapidly evaporates surface moisture. If the oil temperature isn’t high enough, the ingredients may absorb too much oil and feel heavy.
• Mix with soy sauce, vinegar, and spices to soften dressings or dipping sauces.

Preparation tips

• Before use, wipe the pan and ingredient surfaces dry as much as possible. Droplets left can cause oil splatter, and can be inconvenient for frying or high-heat cooking.
• Preheat the pan moderately, then add oil and tilt the pan so it spreads thinly on the bottom. If the oil flows too thinly or smokes, the pan may be too hot, so briefly reduce heat.
• Small ingredients like garlic or chili powder should not stay on high heat for long after adding oil. When small bubbles form at the edges and the aroma rises, add the next ingredients to reduce burning risk.
• If during stir-frying the oil is insufficient and the ingredients start sticking, add small amounts at the edge of the pan rather than all at once. However, for moisture-rich ingredients like mushrooms or zucchini, adding more oil may not yield crispness, so consider cooking in batches.

Cooking characteristics

• Oil forms a thin barrier between pan and ingredients to aid heat transfer and helps browning on the surface.
• If heated for too long or at too high a temperature, oil can smoke and its aroma become dull. If you see smoke, don’t just add new oil; lower the heat and let the pan cool first.
• Adding many moist ingredients at once lowers pan temperature, preventing surface crisping as oil rather than the ingredients becomes the crisping medium. Use a wide pan or cook in batches to promote browning.
• In frying, the signal is when vigorous bubbling occurs but oil does not overflow excessively. If bubbles become too rough or the surface browns too quickly, lower the heat to ensure the inside cooks.

Good combinations

• Mild-flavored oils pair well with sauces that have strong central flavors like soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang, garlic, ginger, and pepper.
• Sautéing garlic or scallions in oil first then adding stock or water helps diffuse aroma through the broth. In very clear, light broths, using too much oil can make the surface feel heavy.
• When sautéing meat or mushrooms, it helps to brown first with a small amount of oil, then add seasoned salt to minimize surface softening.
• When making sauces with acidic ingredients like vinegar or citrus, add oil gradually to reduce separation.

Points to consider when substituting

• For stir-frying or pan-frying, you can substitute with other fats like butter, lard, or olive oil, but scent and browning rate will differ. For dishes requiring a neutral flavor, neutral oils are more suitable.
• Butter adds a rich flavor but can brown quickly when heated at high heat, so it may not be a perfect substitute for high-heat frying or deep-frying.
• Sesame oil or perilla oil have strong aromas, so it’s better to use them in small amounts at the start of cooking and finish with a little more after cooking.
• When frying, if you substitute with other fats, also consider whether the oil is suitable for high-temperature cooking and how the aroma will affect the ingredients. Replacing dressing oil directly for frying can significantly alter the dish.