Dendê oil

Oil from the dendê palm tree. Brought to Bahia by West African slaves, this palm tree is perhaps the only species of palm not indigenous to Brazil. The oil is made from the nuts of the tree and used to flavor dishes and to fry certain foods in Afro-Bahian cooking. Dendê has a high saturated-fat content, which has resulted in a fair amount of controversy in nutritional circles in the United States. The flavor of dendê comes out when heated, and it is essential for reproducing authentic Afro-Brazilian dishes. The recipes in this book call for small amounts of the oil, or a combination of dendê and another polyunsaturated oil. West Indian annatto-seed oil can be substituted, or annatto seeds can be steeped in polyunsaturated oil for twelve hours or more to make your own annatto-seed oil. The result, however, will be a different flavor. This substitute is given basically to achieve the crimson color so typical of Afro-Bahian dishes. Brazilian dendê is lighter and more delicate than its West Indian and African counterpart. Dendê oil is available at Brazilian and some Latin American markets or by mail order. (See Sources)