Coconut Oil

[unblocktheplanet]

We usually cook with extra virgin olive oil carried by suitcase from Costco in Canada every summer. For lighter flavour, we use local organic rice bran oil.

However, the medical info I've been reading says that we need to balance the unsaturated oil with some saturated fat. For a fishetarian, that leaves butter (or ghee) or coconut oil.

We tried coconut oil in Canada last year and it gave no flavour of its own and was tolerant of high heat without burning.

It has been our observation that all coconut oil must be organic and extra virgin. Never seen anybody spraying coconut palms!

However, this is being used as a marketing ploy and coconut oil is the same price in Thailand as it is in Canada!

Does anyone know where to find ordinary, food-grade coconut oil at local prices?

[gotlost]

Have you looked in the stores recently and seen ANY OIL of ANY KIND?

[afarang]

Sorry, don't mean to be facetious,but yes -There is plenty::: of Olive Oil. But guaranteed, there is no normal Thai cooking oils available pretty much anywhere in Thailand.We scored 2 bottles this week ,in a Mom and Pop shop.Seems 2 reasons for the shortage, (1) Floods in the South and in Malaysia, devastated The fruits of the oil palm,so a real shortage of palm Oil, likely to go on for some time. (2) America,most probably the largest producer of Soya beans, processing such a huge quantity of Soya Bean into Biofuels. Meaning little left over for Oil production. Thailand, normally imports huge quantities of beans.But it seems not much at present.

[gotlost]

Sorry, don't mean to be facetious,but yes -There is plenty::: of Olive Oil. But guaranteed, there is no normal Thai cooking oils available pretty much anywhere in Thailand.We scored 2 bottles this week ,in a Mom and Pop shop.Seems 2 reasons for the shortage, (1) Floods in the South and in Malaysia, devastated The fruits of the oil palm,so a real shortage of palm Oil, likely to go on for some time. (2) America,most probably the largest producer of Soya beans, processing such a huge quantity of Soya Bean into Biofuels. Meaning little left over for Oil production. Thailand, normally imports huge quantities of beans.But it seems not much at present.

I'm sorry I to have notice a lot of 10W30 Pennzoil on the selves.

[Pinot]

I was also reading of the health benefits of coconut oil and went off to buy some. Sorry, no hab. No hab anywhere I've looked in Phuket. The coconut shortage here has taken out the coconut oil stocks. There is palm oil which would seem to have many of the benefits of coconut oil. Any feedback on using palm oil?

We were down to no oil yesterday and picked up some soybean at the outdoor market just to have something. The shelves at the local markets are empty of every kind of oil except olive.

Here is a an interesting article on coconut oil:

My link

http://www.huffingto...s_b_821453.html

Edited February 20, 2011 by Pinot

[unblocktheplanet]

I was also reading of the health benefits of coconut oil and went off to buy some. Sorry, no hab. No hab anywhere I've looked in Phuket. The coconut shortage here has taken out the coconut oil stocks. There is palm oil which would seem to have many of the benefits of coconut oil. Any feedback on using palm oil?

I had not heard the South had a coconut shortage! Weird. Though I don't think that's why the extra virgin, organic coconut oil is so expensive.

We're looking for the raw, countryside-made variety, liquid or solid, and still haven’t found any.

See Dr. Mercola: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html

Palm oil, from oil palms not coconut palms, has always been the cheapest oil here. It's very refined at high temperatures. B-A-D! Real unrefined palm oil is reddish and murky. Refined palm oil is often the principal oil in highly processed foods.

Soybean oil is arguably worse, usually solvent-extracted with hexane and heat! I have never seen organic, cold-pressed soy oil.

The most natural we've seen is organic rice bran oil. Often refined at high heat and/or solvent-extracted, too, though the technology is improving for extraction. Our family oil of choice after olive.

Incidentally, I've noticed an awful lot of the olive oils sold here are really olive pomace oil. I wouldn't trust this one at all! It is the oil most often labelled, "Not for human consumption". The product of second- or third-pressings (no virgins around here!) with no temperature controls and then solvent-extracted. It doesn't smell or taste good. Avoid this one!

[CPT]

I had not heard the South had a coconut shortage! Weird.

Young coconuts in Chiang Mai seem to be going for around 25 baht a piece now which seems absolutely absurd. I've been told it is because of the floods in the South but perhaps the oil value has appreciated? I consume more coconut products than could possibly be healthy but once they go above 20 baht I cut back rather substantially... to 0.

Saw a vendor at Royal Flora Ratchaphruek a couple months ago marketing all sorts of coconut products including oil. The oil was rather pricey but the free ice cream was the best I've had in Thailand and I'd gladly pay out the nose for it if I could find it again...

[Ulysses G.]

Real unrefined palm oil is reddish and murky.

Can you buy unrefined palm oil in Thailand?

[mkawish]

I was also reading of the health benefits of coconut oil and went off to buy some. Sorry, no hab. No hab anywhere I've looked in Phuket. The coconut shortage here has taken out the coconut oil stocks. There is palm oil which would seem to have many of the benefits of coconut oil. Any feedback on using palm oil?

I had not heard the South had a coconut shortage! Weird. Though I don't think that's why the extra virgin, organic coconut oil is so expensive.

We're looking for the raw, countryside-made variety, liquid or solid, and still haven't found any.

See Dr. Mercola: http://www.huffingto...s_b_821453.html

Palm oil, from oil palms not coconut palms, has always been the cheapest oil here. It's very refined at high temperatures. B-A-D! Real unrefined palm oil is reddish and murky. Refined palm oil is often the principal oil in highly processed foods.

Soybean oil is arguably worse, usually solvent-extracted with hexane and heat! I have never seen organic, cold-pressed soy oil.

The most natural we've seen is organic rice bran oil. Often refined at high heat and/or solvent-extracted, too, though the technology is improving for extraction. Our family oil of choice after olive.

Incidentally, I've noticed an awful lot of the olive oils sold here are really olive pomace oil. I wouldn't trust this one at all! It is the oil most often labelled, "Not for human consumption". The product of second- or third-pressings (no virgins around here!) with no temperature controls and then solvent-extracted. It doesn't smell or taste good. Avoid this one!

I have as yet to encounter olive oil that is labelled NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION....

As everyone knows, olive oil is not at all inexpensive whether in Euro, USD or THB....

An ordinary litre for around 1,300 THB....? I must be mistaken, right?