Good For You: Everland’s Extra Virgin Macadamia Nut Oil

Everland’s Extra Virgin Macadamia Nut Oil 

3.75 stars

Great cooking oil is a culinary essential. Every chef requires a flavourful, versatile oil that can take the heat of the kitchen, marrying safely with high-heat cooking techniques like pan searing or crisp sautéing. Finding such an oil, however, can be a daunting task. While there is no denying the sublime taste and astounding health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, its relatively low smoke point—the point at which an oil starts to decompose and form free radicals—renders it unsafe to use for much beyond salads and other room temperature applications. On the other end of the spectrum, whether they’re heat safe or not, I find the majority of vegetable oils on the market bland, overly processed, and replete with unhealthy fatty acid profiles. As for the oh-so-trendy coconut oil, in my humble opinion its tropical flavour is just too assertive; it seems to leave everything I pair it with tasting like a pina colada. In addition, though it does have some undeniable health benefits, it is STILL a predominantly saturated fat, and I do not feel comfortable using it daily.

Thankfully, I recently stumbled upon Everland’s Extra Virgin Macadamia Nut Oil and I can declare that my personal quest to find the ultimate cooking oil has officially ended!  Praised by nutrition expert Dr. Fred Pescatore as “the planet’s healthiest cooking oil” in his New York Times bestselling book, The Hampton’s Diet, Macadamia Nut Oil contains more heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats (MUFAs) than any other oil. While olive oil—renowned and oft praised for its MUFA content—contains roughly 70-76% mono-unsaturated fatty acids, Macadamia Nut Oil contains, on average, a whopping 80-85% of these beneficial fats. What’s more, according to nutritional experts worldwide, Macadamia Nut Oil also boasts an ideal omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio of 1:1. This impressive fatty acid profile translates into some remarkable health benefits; studies indicate Macadamia Nut Oil can help lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, support cell regeneration, aid in weight loss, and reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.

The best news of all—for devout foodies—the oil’s rich, creamy taste belies its healthy profile. In addition, its high smoke point makes it versatile and safe enough to use for baking, stir-frying and other high-heat applications. Of course, it is also fantastic in salads too—I find it pairs beautifully with buttermilk to make a sublime dressing.  It has become somewhat of a “culinary muse” for me—I’ve even used it with great success to replace butter in cake and cookie recipes. In truth, I have become smitten with the oil’s light buttery taste. Its flavour, though rich, is neutral and unassertive; you’ll find it won’t overpower  the other ingredients in your favourite recipes, as olive oil and coconut oil are apt to.

So why not perform your own “oil change” and make Everland’s Macadamia Nut Oil a staple in your pantry?  Everland sources the finest Macadamia Nuts from Australia (Australian Macadamia Nuts are considered far superior to Hawaiian varieties) to produce a true quality product guaranteed to give you premium taste and nutrition. If you value truly delicious food, safely prepared and highly nutritious, you can’t go wrong adding this product to your shopping basket!

Everland Natural Food

Available in Victoria at the Market on Yates, Market on Millstream, Lifestyle Markets

In Vancouver at Meinhardt’s, Choices