'Groundnut oil' a better choice for deep frying  

Groundnut oil is an edible vegetable oil processed from groundnuts scientifically known as ‘Arachis hypogeal’ and belonging to the botanical family ‘Fabaceae’.

The oil is also known as peanut oil or arachis oil and it is mainly used for cooking and certain medicinal and manufacturing purposes like making soap. Moreover the same is also used as a biofuel compatible with biodiesel.

The exact origin of groundnut oil is unknown, though the groundnut is supposed to have originated from South and Southern North American regions and been first cultivated around 3900 years ago. However, at present, the same is one of the most important vegetable oils across the globe as it has a smoke point as high as 450°F (232°C) which makes it ideal for deep frying and cooking.

Groundnut oil has different varieties depending on its qualities and processing methods. Some of the main varieties are filtered groundnut oil, virgin groundnut oil, wood pressed groundnut oil, cold pressed groundnut oil, refined groundnut oil, etc.

Groundnut oil contains fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, phytosterols, and zinc. And it is purported to control cholesterol levels and diabetes and Prevent Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of cancer.

The largest producer of groundnut oil in the world is China, followed by India, Sudan and Nigeria. The largest exporter is India, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Sudan and China while the main importers are China, Italy, Netherlands and France.

In India, the largest producer of groundnut oil is Gujarat, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Some of the major trading markets of groundnut oil in India:

Gujarat (Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat, Jamnagar)

Andhra Pradesh (Ananthapur, Kurnool, Guntur, Nizamabad)

Tamil Nadu (Madurai, Erode, Dindigul, Salem)

Karnataka (Bellary, Koppal, Kolar, Bangalore)

Names of groundnut oil in different Indian languages:

Hindi                  Moongaphalee ka tel

Tamil                  Katalai enney

Malayalam         Nilakkatala enna