Cooking Fats

Butter, margarine, lard and suet, ghee, drippings and synthetic fats all have their different uses in cooking. They can be chosen for flavor, texture or cooking properties, depending on what you are making. Their availability varies greatly depending on the part of the world you are shopping in.

There are two main types of fats: unsaturated and saturated. The unsaturated fats can be mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated, are usually of vegetable origin and are soft at room temperature or in oil form. These are hydrogenated to make them firm for use in some low-calorie spreads, soft margarine and the white vegetable fats. From a health point of view, polyunsaturated fats are preferable as they do not build up deposits of cholesterol in the blood.