FYI: Canola oil, once a war machinery lubricant, is now a kitchen staple thanks to some innovative research. Discover how it transitioned from powering engines to frying your favorite foods.
Canola Oil: From Industrial Use to Culinary Fame
Canola oil is one of the most ubiquitous cooking oils globally, ranking just behind soybean and palm oil in popularity. But did you know that before it became a culinary staple, it was used as a lubricant for warships and aircraft during wartime?
Origins and Early Uses
Derived from crushing the tiny seeds of the canola plant, canola oil shares a production method with other seed oils like sesame oil. Olive oil is similarly extracted by pressing olives. However, unlike these ancient oils, canola oil has only been consumable for the last fifty years.
War and Lubrication
During World War II, the oil extracted from the rapeseed plant, the precursor to canola, contained two chemicals—erucic acid and glucosinolates—that made the oil unpalatable. Despite its unpleasant taste, the oil’s high erucic acid content made it suitable as a lubricant for the engines of warships and military aircraft.
Agricultural Innovation
Post-war, the demand for industrial lubricants dropped, leaving North American farmers, especially those in Canada, with an overabundance of rapeseed crops. In response, Canadian researchers set out to develop a new variety of rapeseed that would be more suitable for human consumption.
Breeding Canola
Scientists at the University of Manitoba played a pivotal role by crossbreeding various rapeseed types, namely B. napus and B. rapa, to reduce the erucic acid content. By the 1970s, a new, low-acid rapeseed oil was introduced to the market, now known as canola oil—a portmanteau of "Canadian" and "Oil Low Acid."
Modern-Day Usage
Thanks to these efforts, canola oil emerged as a flavor-neutral oil ideal for a variety of culinary applications—from frying foods to being a key ingredient in mayonnaise. The transition has been so successful that it’s hard to believe it was once limited to industrial uses.
Conclusion
Next time you reach for canola oil in your kitchen, remember its fascinating journey from powering wartime machinery to enhancing your favorite recipes.
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Donald Smith, Editor of Automotive.fyi
