by Monica Reinagel, M.S., L.D./N.
Ask the Diva: Is Mustard Oil a Good Choice for Cooking?
Q. Mustard oil is commonly used in cooking in eastern India. Is this a good choice?
A. For reasons I explained in a recent podcast, the ideal cooking oil will have a high smoke point but be relatively low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs. Mustard oil has a pretty high smoke point and its PUFA content is about 20%. That’s lower than many other vegetable oils, like soybean or corn, which are up to 60% PUFAs, but not quite as low as olive oil, butter, ghee, or coconut oil, which are less than 10% PUFA.
