Ingredient of the week: Red palm oil

Red palm oil has a bold, vegetal, rich and smoky paprika-like flavour (Photo: Shutterstock)

Red palm oil is produced from pulp of the fruit of the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). In its unprocessed state, the oil has an intense deep red colour because of its abundant carotene content. 

It has a bold, vegetal, rich and smoky paprika-like flavour that enhances spicy foods and is widely used in Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.