From the humble fried egg to more novel creations like deep-fried ice- cream, frying food is part of almost every cuisine around the world. The method of cooking our produce or meat in hot oil dates back to 2500 BC and hasn’t changed much over millennia. Of course, a good fry depends on the oil and the B-well range of canola cooking oils is the first choice.
Small seeds, big business
In 1993, Southern Oil revolutionized agriculture in the Western Cape by introducing canola to farmers who were willing to include it in their crop rotation. The venture was a huge success and now Southern Oil works with over 500 local producers of canola in the Overberg and Swartland areas in the Western Cape. The company runs the largest canola seed crushing and canola oil manufacturing operation on the African continent. Due to the increasing demand for healthier cooking oil, Southern Oil launched its retail brand B-well in 2010. The brand has grown from strength to strength as more and more South Africans realise the benefits of canola oil.
Local and lekker
Canola had its origin in Canada where rapeseed was naturally bred to canola in the early 1970′s. Canola, however, is NOT rapeseed and their nutritional profiles are very different. Traditional plant breeding methods were used in the 1960′s to eliminate rapeseed’s undesirable erucic acid and glucosinolates. Canola oil is pressed from tiny brown seeds found in pods on the canola plant. In a time where GMO food products raise controversy among the public, it’s reassuring to know that all the canola crops in South Africa are grown from non-GMO seeds. Pressed canola oil and seeds in South Africa consistently undergo GMO screening for verification purposes in adherence to requirements.
A must-have in the kitchen
Canola oil has proven itself, time and again, as one of the best oils for cooking. It has a neutral taste and a high smoking point around 200 degrees Celsius. It’s also surprisingly versatile and can be used as a substitute for hard fats in baking. Another bonus of choosing canola oil? When you break down the fat profile, canola oil has only 7 percent saturated fat per tablespoon. That’s lower than any other common cooking oil. It’s also naturally cholesterol-free and one of few oils rich in alpha-linoleic acid, a form of Omega 3.
The smart choice
The B-well brand of canola cooking oils and mayonnaises consists of a wide range of products that deliver premium quality at affordable prices. B-well produces retail products but also supplies these products to the food services industry in larger volumes. Its flagship food services offering is B-well Chef; an elite frying oil specially formulated to benefit both chefs and customers. B-well Chef is an exceptional frying oil that distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering the lowest saturated fat content with superior frying performance. B-well Chef has five times less saturated fat than palm oil. The product also has an extended frying life and can fry up to 11 days. Because it is specially formulated with canola oil, B-well Chef retains the health benefits of being cholesterol-free and high in Omega 3 and it is available in 20 litre volume.
For more information on B-well Chef or for product sales, call Southern Oil on 028 514 3441 or email sales@soill.co.za
