While olive oil is often touted as the (liquid) gold standard for healthy cooking, another ingredient may be coming for the crown — and there’s a good chance you didn’t even know it existed.
With high omega-6 content and low saturated fat, it offers big benefits for heart health, brain function and metabolism.
And don’t let the name put you off — it’s already a hit with foodies, with even Chef Daniel Humm of New York City’s 3-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park using it in his kitchen.
Enter algae oil, which a new wave of gourmands is hoping will revolutionize the food industry.
“Algae oil is by far the best cooking oil I’ve ever used,” Kas Saidi, founder and CEO of Algae Cooking Club, raved to The Post. “It’s light, slightly buttery, and endlessly versatile. I was hooked just by the experience of cooking with it.”
What are the health benefits of algae oil?
“Algae oil offers a healthy, super-versatile alternative. It’s higher in omega-9 fats, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil, but with 75% less saturated fat than both olive and avocado oil,” Saidi argued.
Saturated fat has been linked to higher cholesterol, which can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, restricting blood flow and raising the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Excessive intake of saturated fat can also drive harmful inflammation in the body and increase the risk of obesity.
Algae oil also contains both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), essential fats that play a crucial role in overall health.
While DHA is vital for overall brain health, supporting cognitive function, memory, and focus, EPA contributes to cardiac health by helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels and promoting healthy circulation.
What are the benefits in the kitchen?
Saidi said the intense flavor and low smoke point of olive and avocado oil can limit their usability.
“Olive oil or even high-quality avocado oil adds a lot of flavor to whatever you’re cooking. That can be great for Mediterranean dishes, but most of the time you don’t actually want your oil to compete with your food,” he said.
Algae oil has the highest smoke point of any oil at 535 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning it can handle high-heat searing without burning or breaking down.
What does algae oil taste like?
Humm of Eleven Madison Park has been swapping algae oil in for most of the restaurant’s traditional vegetable oils.
“It’s very pure, so it doesn’t impart any burnt, bitter or ‘off’ flavor at high heats. This is why we have been experimenting with it in our fried dishes at the restaurant, in particular,” Humm told Food and Wine.
“I also like that it doesn’t overpower delicate flavors — it tastes like what you are cooking,” he added.
Saidi added that using it improves everything from eggs to steak to mayo.
“It’s super light, clean, and a little bit buttery,” he said — and insisted it doesn’t taste like the sea because it’s made from land-grown microalgae.
“There’s zero fishiness, just a neutral flavor that lets your food shine,” he said. “Chefs love that it makes everything taste better without leaving that heavy, greasy feel behind.”
In addition to using it for savories, dressings and dips, he also recommends it as a one-to-one swap for canola oil when baking.
“Whether you’re making a sponge cake, cookies, or anything in between, it keeps things clean and consistent,” he said.
“This isn’t a finishing oil meant to add its own flavor; it’s the opposite. It takes the ingredients you’re cooking and makes them shine. Fat carries flavor, and this is one of the purest, lightest fats you can cook with. Just swap it in one-for-one and you’ll instantly notice the difference.”
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