The safflower plant is known as bastard saffron, and for centuries was used primarily as a scarlet dye for silk and for cosmetic rouge. In its native habitat – India, China, the East Indies – its seed was also pressed to yield an oil that served locally for cooking and for lamp fuel.
Chemical analysis has shown that safflower oil is one of the most unsaturated vegetable oils in existence, a fact that has made it extremely popular in cholesterol-conscious North America. Take care, however, to use safflower oil that has been refined as little as possible. The refinement process employed by the large commercial processors destroys the lecithin content of the oil, without which safflower is of little use as a cholesterol reducer. Safflower oil is light and bland, which makes it a good all-purpose oil for kitchen use.
Chemical analysis has shown that safflower oil is one of the most unsaturated vegetable oils in existence, a fact that has made it extremely popular in cholesterol-conscious North America. Take care, however, to use safflower oil that has been refined as little as possible. The refinement process employed by the large commercial processors destroys the lecithin content of the oil, without which safflower is of little use as a cholesterol reducer. Safflower oil is light and bland, which makes it a good all-purpose oil for kitchen use.
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