Enova Oil

[BakerBites]

I recently used Enova Oil in a recipe for Hummingbird Cake. There seemed to be a hint of an aftertaste. Anyone have experience with this oil?
www.bakerbites.com

[Suzanne]

I have not used it, but I notice that it's a blend of soy and canola oils. Some people taste a sort of fishiness in canola. Could that have been it?

[MarkV]

I just received a whole case of the stuff. They are one of the sponsors providing food supplies for the cooking classes I teach.

I haven't noticed a funny taste but I ABSOLUTELY do not believe their bogus marketing claim that it isn't stored as fat as readily as other oils. I don't care what kind of research they say can back it up. The biology of converting calories to fat has nothing to do with the kind of oil it is. They are the equivalent of a late night diet pill scam. Unfortunately there are enough ignorant Americans to buy their BS and make them a fortune until the next tummy-trimmer, fat-burning-power-drink, or low-something diet craze takes over.

Mark

[Jock]

OK Mark, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think

Jock

[BakerBites]

Well, obviously if you're making Hummingbird Cake you're not too concerned about the calories. I'd just bought that oil and thought I'd use it (yeah, I probably fell for the story that it might be better for me).

I did not notice a "fishy" taste -- it was just a hint of something I couldn't really define. I just kept smacking my mouth trying to figure out what it was. Weird. Guess I'll just use vegetable oil next time.

Thanks -- appreciate the input.

[mudbug]

I do not detect an aftertaste. But I haven't made that cake either.

There is plenty of discussion online regarding the oil, always best to make an educated decision:

While Enova oil may be healthier than polyunsaturated oils, it is not healthier than olive oil.

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA358076/

Like Enova oil, canola oil is exceptionally low in cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Canola oil contains more monounsaturated fat, however, while Enova oil has more polyunsaturated fat.

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories...View/sid/7587/

lease do not mix these oils up with Fish and Flax oils. Fish and Flax are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and Olive and Canola have more Omega 6 fatty acids. Both are very important to balance in your daily intake!

http://www.sn2g.com/news/news.php?eNews=6

[Suzanne]

Mudbug, I think it's an individual chemical taste reaction -- the way some people think cilantro tastes soapy while others love it. Like the reaction to artichokes. And in a way like the reaction to asparagus (not taste, but, um, something further along the human digestion reaction ).

And thanks for all those links! Very interesting!!

[MarkV]

Originally Posted by Jock

OK Mark, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think

Jock

Sorry for coming on a bit strong. One of my pet peeves is the incomprehensible level of food-ignorance and food-neurosis in this country and the companies who cash in on it.

Mark

[Jock]

No problem Mark. I'm with you on this one.

Jock

[justfryit]

Some people taste a sort of fishiness in canola.

Chalk me up as one of those people.

I can definitely taste a strange taste when frying with canola. I can't stand it.

[Pete]

Mark, though I have no say on Enova (haven't paid enough attention to it), I totally agree with you about this country and the fear mongering that goes on!!!!!

[Blade55440]

Originally Posted by MarkV

I just received a whole case of the stuff. They are one of the sponsors providing food supplies for the cooking classes I teach.

I haven't noticed a funny taste but I ABSOLUTELY do not believe their bogus marketing claim that it isn't stored as fat as readily as other oils. I don't care what kind of research they say can back it up. The biology of converting calories to fat has nothing to do with the kind of oil it is. They are the equivalent of a late night diet pill scam. Unfortunately there are enough ignorant Americans to buy their BS and make them a fortune until the next tummy-trimmer, fat-burning-power-drink, or low-something diet craze takes over.

Mark

Remember the olene oil they used to fry potato chips in for the "WoW" chips? I think the reason they say it isn't "stored in the body as fat" is becuase it isn't absorbed. That olene/olestra stuff when eaten in large quantities had a tendency to lead to "anal seepage". It's a disgusting side-effect...but you would leak oil.

I think that's what they are claiming...but in a VERY ambiguous way.

[MarkV]

At BEST the research shows that the amount of their oil that will not be converted to fat is minimal. It has to do with the type of fat it is made of. The current thinking is over a year's time you may have a difference of a few pounds. Taking the stairs rather than the elevator will produce more weight loss than that in a year's time.

This is what drives me nuts. We start with a food-neurotic, fat-phobic society. We devlop a product that has minimal effect on fat and then tell people less of it what will be stored in the body as fat. Then, all the mindless fat-phobes, unquestioningly go for it without even taking the time to consider what "less" actually means. Meanwhile, shrewd businessmen who know how to cash in on people's psychopathology and ignorance, laugh all the way to the bank.

And, if I may beat these topic to death just a little more, this also plays into people's laziness. People would rather just pour a different oil in their pan than take that extra flight of stairs.

Mark <------stepping down from the soapbox.

[Stephanie Brim]

I have a policy: when I need to use oil I use oil. I don't skim off the top with the latest fat-reducing miracle. I use real butter and olive oil in almost all my cooking and I still maintain a healthy weight and an active lifestyle. My grandmother has gone to eating margerine and using it in baking and cooking, which I think is a horrible offense against taste, but my grandfather has gone back to using butter in almost all his own baking because I re-educated him on how much better things can taste if you just do it the way it should be done.

I know there are a lot of people for whom this isn't an option. The low fat diet is a must for health reasons. I do feel, however, that if you're making a dish that calls for butter, use butter. Just don't eat that dish all the time. Moderation, and a healthy dose of taking that flight of stairs instead of the elevator, is the key to a healthy life.

And this is coming from someone who does believe in the benefits of organic farming and pure cooking. Yes, this is basically a rehash of what Mark said, but it's also one of my pet peeves. Synthetic oils and fats are, in the most part, worse for you than their natural counterparts mostly because of how new they are. Yes, they've been tested, but who knows what effects they could have years down the line? Live and learn. It's kind of like Teflon, I suppose. It was supposed to be safe way back when it was brought into the cooking world, but there are studies now linking it to cancer. I prefer the time-tested, natural ingredients to new-and-improved chemical experiments. It's why I'm throwing out all my grandmother's old nonstick pans in 5 months and replacing them with a set of Emerilware stainless steel and cast iron. It's why I use butter in things that call for oleo. It's why olive oil is the top of my list of cooking oils. (I swear to you that I do not and will not cook like Rachael Ray. She scares me sometimes.) Some wisdom that came from my great grandmother may have been a bit dated, but her cooking advice is not. Pie crust is made with lard. Cookies are made with butter and real vanilla. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, use it. Cast iron can cook almost anything. Good gravy does not need to be strained of all the little flavorful bits; those really don't count as lumps.

But yeah, I've spouted enough myself. I can do that sometimes.