Fats and Oils: Are Fats Essential?

Fats and oils are to some extent a luxury both in cooking and in diet. Fat contributes to the palatability of food, making it more agreeable by increasing the smoothness and tenderness of the texture. Fat also carries much flavour, though in a pure state it has no flavour of its own. Many flavouring substances are soluble in fat but not in water; The flavour of meat, for example, is largely in its fat. If every trace of fat is excised from a piece of beef and a piece of mutton, it is almost impossible to distinguish between them. Fat also increases the satisfying quality of food. It takes a certain time to digest, so it increases the time that food remains in the stomach, giving a feeling of comfortable satiety.