In Favor of Seed Oils

Don’t be dumb. Self-proclaimed guru-ism has infiltrated our kitchens.

Once I witnessed a man request his chicken sandwich fried in butter. He had a look on his face that seemed to say “ha! I’ve beat the system! No seed oils for me!”. The only thing he had done successfully was solidify himself as the biggest muttonhead in the dining room. Butter burns, you fool. The kitchen staff was forgiving, explaining kindly why they couldn’t fulfill his appalling order. I, on the other hand, would’ve happily accepted the request and delivered him the sopping wet, bitter confit monstrosity with my own two hands—just to see those egotistical guru eyes of his go dark.

On the mental and physical health sides of social media, the word “guru” has become, to any well-thought individual, synonymous with “conspiracy theorist”. Perhaps the most prominent claim by these gurus as of late has been that seed oils (canola, grapeseed, safflower, sesame, etc.) must be stripped from our diets due to their inflammatory traits. This claim floats in a pool of other disgraceful theories such as “dairy is only for cows!” or “vaccinations cause autism!” Sheesh. Enough with the blasphemous studies and evidence cherry-picking. Despite what these well-done-steak-eating bastards may try to spit your way, seed oils are simply not that harmful. In fact, they’re quite healthy, and chances are your favorite food would be out the window if you decided to cut seed oils from your diet.

It’s important I clarify that I am not, by any definition, a medical professional. I’m not a nutritionist or a dietician or even a health enthusiast. The extent of my seed oil knowledge reaches only as far as “which oil for which situation?” A well-educated nutritionist or stable-minded M.D., however, will quickly and efficiently debunk these myths surrounding seed oils using real evidence. I’ll leave the science of omega-6’s and saturated/unsaturated fats to the true experts. They’re just a google search away. Notice how I’m staying in my own lane? Take notes, gurus.

The bottom line in the kitchen world is that these oils are important in the process of making good food.

Burnt oil tastes like shit. Because of this, it’s important that any cooking oil in a kitchen has a high smoke point. In the smoke point realm, seed oils are king. Just about any hot entree you order is sauteed in a blend of canola oil with a touch of extra virgin olive oil for flavor. The beauty of the canola is its ability to retain an insane amount of heat without burning. This is how your scallops get that perfect sear.

Good luck in Asia. If you give up all seed oils, you’re essentially banishing Asian food from your diet. Period. Especially Japanese cuisine. Sesame oil, canola oil, and soybean oil are overwhelmingly integral parts of all things washoku and will not be cut from the Asian diet anytime soon. I don’t know about you, but I’d do anything to keep authentic unagi in my life.

Not every dish needs to be a Jackson Pollock. Many cooks, including myself, will tell you that simplicity is paramount. You shouldn’t need a pile-up of twelve ingredients to get a flavor across. If you do, you probably aren’t using quality ingredients. The punchiness of non-seed oils can be helpful at times and completely unnecessary in others. The neutral-tasting nature of seed oils puts whatever’s in the pan on true flavor pedestal.

Leave the money to the meats. It’s important to remember that being a fake health guru is a hobby. It costs money to be an idiot. Avocado oil is expensive and essentially no different than vegetable oil. Walnut oil is expensive—and who the hell is using walnut oil in their right mind. Read that again. Walnut oil. Christ almighty. And don’t even get me started on algae oil. No kitchen is going to substitute their high-quality tri-tips for pre-ground chuck just to be able to afford what their entitled customers misguidedly call the healthy option.

If nothing else, I hope that true food lovers can understand the importance of evidence and research. I’m just a delinquent line cook and even I took the time to analyze the facts. Remember that RFK Jr. and that TikTok health influencer are not your doctors. At least I hope not. Nuts, seeds and vegetables have the highest nutritional value in our diet. Extracting their fats doesn’t change that. Seed oils are injected into premature babies (the most vulnerable patients possible) as their main source of nutrition. Seriously.

Studies happen often. Fake studies happen even more often. No, omega-6’s do not cause life-threatening inflammation. Yes, they are essential to your diet. Yes, those chips are unhealthy. No, it’s not because of the seed oils. Not every rectangle is a square. Stay safe out there and read real evidence.