When you think of peanut oil, you think Asia, right? Turns out that's wrong. Peanut oil is a red, white and blue product - and a legacy of World War II. Dairy products were scarce during the war, and patriotic people replaced butter with margarine. But making margarine the traditional way proved problematic. The classic oil for margarine had been coconut oil, which came from the Philippines. With the war raging in that part of the Pacific, manufacturers seeking a replacement came up with the notion of using peanut oil in its place. A plus: peanuts were a domestic product that were both abundant and inexpensive. The Planters people, noting its high burning point, began promoting the oil as a ration-friendly replacement for other fats. (Lulu, the heroine of Delicious!, surely would have used it in her cooking.)
Things I Love: Peanut Oil
Things I Love: Peanut Oil
Things I Love: Peanut Oil
When you think of peanut oil, you think Asia, right? Turns out that's wrong. Peanut oil is a red, white and blue product - and a legacy of World War II. Dairy products were scarce during the war, and patriotic people replaced butter with margarine. But making margarine the traditional way proved problematic. The classic oil for margarine had been coconut oil, which came from the Philippines. With the war raging in that part of the Pacific, manufacturers seeking a replacement came up with the notion of using peanut oil in its place. A plus: peanuts were a domestic product that were both abundant and inexpensive. The Planters people, noting its high burning point, began promoting the oil as a ration-friendly replacement for other fats. (Lulu, the heroine of Delicious!, surely would have used it in her cooking.)