1.
salad oil; cooking oil; vegetable oil
A refined, neutral-flavored vegetable oil used for everyday cooking. In Japan, this is the standard general-purpose cooking oil, typically made from rapeseed (canola), soybean, or a blend.
The most common general-purpose cooking oil in Japanese kitchens. The name "salad oil" comes from the fact that it is refined enough to be used in cold dressings without solidifying, but it is used for all cooking purposes including stir-frying and deep-frying.
Common collocations
Related words
- ごま油: sesame oil — for flavoring
- オリーブオイル: olive oil
- 米油: rice bran oil — increasingly popular
- 揚げ油: deep-frying oil
Usage
Despite the name "salad," this oil is rarely used just for salads in modern Japan. It is the default cooking oil, equivalent to "vegetable oil" in English-speaking countries.