Wednesday 8 January 2020

Discover Wholesome Goodness of Palm Oil

"Awareness is like the Sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed."
I'm a believer of the fact that until you know about something in and out, just do not make an opinion. And it stands true for everything in life, be it a person, a thing or a situation. I genuinely look for opportunities wherein some trustworthy information is accessible to me. 

This Monday (i.e. on January 6th, 2020), I got one such opportunity to attend Palm Oil: Gourmet Delight, an amazing bloggers' meet-cum-food hunt organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) at Sip n Dine Banquet, Chandigarh where Ms. Bhavna Shah (Country Representative, India and Sri Lanka, MPOC) apprised us about Malasiyan Palm Oil which happens to be most dominant vegetable oil in the market.
PC: worldatlas.com
Through her presentation, Ms. Bhavna delineated not just the process of origination of palm oil, but also threw light on how each of us directly or indirectly consumes it almost every day. I was astonished to know the multitude of health benefits that palm oil might provide us without any side effects.
Just to encapsulate, sharing a few pointers that I fetched at the event-

  • Palm oil is made from the fruit of the palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). The oil palm yield has two types. One is extracted from the flesh of the fruit, called as palm oil and the other from the seed called as palm kernel oil.
  • Palm Oil and its derivatives are widely used in a big percentage of our daily-use products including snacks, cosmetics, personal care, detergent, desserts, chocolates, margarine, bio diesel, packaged food items and much more.
  • Other than on-shelf products, Palm Oil is extensively used for cooking or frying as it remains stable at high heat and is neutral in taste that doesn't alter the flavour or aroma of the dish.
  • Palm oil is one of the most widely produced edible fats in the world. It is least expensive oil as compared to other edible oils due to its high-yielding crop. And that's why the relatively lesser price shouldn't be questionable for its efficacy/quality.
  • Palm Oil doesn't contribute to any health hazards like heart condition, skin problems, brain malfunctioning; rather it's likely safe when consumed in sync with other oil blends that suit your body. If you find yourself unable to blend oils, then it's advised to switch oils after a regular interval and avail health benefits of all oils in-turns.
  • Like all other vegetable oils, palm oil is cholesterol- free and it also has lower tendency to oxidize. It can be easily digested, absorbed and utilized by body as a source of energy.
  • Lastly, I would like to specifically state here that palm oil industry is observing a number of laws and regulations to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment for achieving sustainability of palm oil production. For more relevant info, click www.mpoc.org.in
Unlike a usual meet up, the #MPOC event was more of a Laugh-n-Learn get together where the hosts had lined up some action-packed fun activities for the attendees to enhance our finite understanding of palm oil in an engaging manner.

As soon as the presentation was over, the bloggers were divided into small groups for the Food Hunt. We were given clue cards to decode the next venue name for the next activity. From Sip-n-Dine, we rushed to Crazy Town where we brainstormed really hard to crack some tricky questions about palm oil for the Quiz Competition.

By decoding another clue card, we stepped into another lively venue i.e. The Safe House for the Blind Food Tasting Session where we were served yummilicious delicacies cooked in palm oil and we enjoyed naming ingredients used in the dish with our eyes blindfolded during the activity. What amazed me during the food tasting is that the food cooked in palm oil tastes as good as any other cooking oil!



Our last pit-stop was at The Finch for Salad Making activity, where our team creatively crafted a healthy version of veggie salad. The Palmysterious Salad, as we named it lovingly, tasted so good with a dressing of palm oil ;)




While we were all engrossed in the delightful activities, a stage was being set at our original venue for a Bollywood themed competition. I bet everyone had an abundant dose of humour. I too attempted delivering a dialogue of SriDevi from the movie Chandni.
The judges awarded the best performers with the titles of King and Queen. The winning team was rewarded for their enthusiastic participation. The day ended with tasty lunch over a cheerful conversation with fellow bloggers.


My major takeaway from the event was a much clearer viewpoint on favourable nutritional effects of Malasiyan Palm Oil that would now lead me to its better acceptance in my daily household without any opinion conflicts.

Really feeling gratified to have attended this informative session by MPOC.

46 comments:

  1. As long as it is sustainably sourced, I am a huge proponent of cooking with palm oil. I have some in the house and sometimes make chicken cutlets with it!

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  2. Oh who does not love a good organic product?
    I know there are some that just take the cheapest, but what if the companies could make sure that the cheapest is organic?

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  3. Earlier I was also doubtful about the use of palm oil but now I got the clear version of its usage. Thanx for the tips, I Am gonna use it in my cooking from now onwards

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  4. Thanks for these kind of posts which aware people against all kind of misconceptions. Very useful and important tips.

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  5. Oh I never knew that palm oil is so diverse n versatile. It's so thought provoking to learn these facts. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Wooow this is really good and to know there is on out there is even better.

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  7. Such events should be more frequently organised to make common people aware of real picture. Will now trust palm oil more than ever.

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  8. It's an eye opener content here. I applaud for the MPOC for taking the initiative. 👏

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  9. Awesome post and event! I like how they did the blind taste testing. I haven't heard much about palm oil, I will have to see if they sell it at my grocery store. :)

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  10. I've heard people talking about palm oil, but I never realized it was so good for us. I'll have to give this a try. I've been looking to add another healthy item to my diet.

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  11. Palm oil is definitely good for you, lots of concerns about it's over use and the effect on the planet, but if it isn't palm oil it will be something else. Good to remember it's nutritional benefits.

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  12. This is incredibly interesting! I've never heard of palm oil before!

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  13. I've never used palm oil directly, although it's in a lot of prepared foods that I eat. I remember when using coconut oil and palm oil were considered a death sentence LOL Now they tell us it's okay. I would have no qualms at all about using palm oil. Looks like you had fun!

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  14. This event looks fun! I had no idea palm oil was so beneficial. I appreciate that it's cholesterol free too.

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  15. Nnniiicceeeeee....I so much have loved to be a part of this. I don't remember tasting anything made with palm oil in my recent past! I would love to learn more about palm oil, in general.

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  16. Palm oil nourishes the body, it is safe and is a great source of energy. Happy to witness such amazing events throwing light on its benefits.��

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  17. I've actually never even heard of palm oil but it's good to know there is an option that doesn't have all those heart clogging side-effects.

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  18. I had no idea palm oil could be used for so much!! I'm going to try some of the ways you recommended.

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  19. I use palm oil for frying and sauteing. It is amazing that it provides health benefits and is very affordable too. I will take your advice in substituting different oils to get other benefits too.

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  20. Wow what a fun engaging event learning about Palm Oil. I haven't used Palm Oil in my household yet but now I see the benefits!

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  21. Bachpan me meri mummy palm oil cooking k liye use karti thi, fir sabne kaha ki health k liye accha nahi hai , tab se kabhi use nahi kita
    Ab dekhiye fir se best oil samne aaya 👍👍 thanks for awareness

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  22. There is a lot of ignorance about palm oil, it is demonized and it is true it has its negative sides, but the one produced organically can also have many benefits.

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  23. I hadn't heard of palm oil before. I will have to try it out and see how it works for me.

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  24. I love cooking with palm oil. I just wish it was easier to find in store

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  25. Very interesting post. Thank you so much for sharing. I'd never really heard much about Palm oil prior to this.

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  26. Palm oil is very healthy, as long as it is sourced well and not processed harmfully. What a fun day this looked like! And good healthy food!

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  27. Very informative post and looks like it was a fun event. I've heard of Palm Oil but didn't know that much about it, thank you!

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  28. I've never use palm oil before and actually have no idea how versatile it is. I may have to make a purchase. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!

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  29. This seems like it was a really great and educational event. I never have known much about palm oil but it sounds really interesting.

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  30. I honestly didn't know much about palm oil, but I've seen it on many labels so I've been curious about it.
    I want to cook with it!

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  31. I have to admit I have never used palm oil, but after seeing this I am going to have a look see if it is available in the UK?

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  32. Thanks for this great information. I have never tried palm oil or even heard of it.

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  33. I have always heard about so much negative remarks about palm oil that I never had a chance to research it entirely. It is good to know that it is not all bad and steps have been taken to improve the production.

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  34. I’m a Nigerian, and palm oil is one of our main ingredients. But I’ve never really thought of the nutritional value of it. Great post:)

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  35. I sometimes get overwhelmed by the giant selection of oils in the grocery store. Thanks for helping shed light on one of them! I have never cooked with this one, but I will have to try it soon. I would have LOVED that blindfold taste test session!

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  36. I never used palm oil like this tbh its hard to buy it here where I live. But I might search when I go to main city and use it while cooking.

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  37. I had no idea about all these interesting things. It is nice to learn some more, especially since it is such a popular ingredient.

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