THE STAPLE
Pine Nut Oil
We had been searching for an oil delicious enough for salad dressings and substituting for olive oil. Something full of soft flavor that would deepen the flavors of light dishes without over powering them. What we found, completely by accident, was Korean Pine Nut Oil.
THE WHAT'S WHAT
As it turns out, like many other normal Asian ingredients, Pine Nut Oil has turned into a health food in the states because of it's anti-oxidents and reported weight loss benefits. However, on top of all that silliness, Pine Nut Oil also has an interesting history in Russia where it was once the basis of 10% of hard currency.
Pine Nut Oil is pretty delicate so you don't want to use it much over heat. Instead, use for adding flavor like you would a very expensive olive oil. Since Spanish, French, and Italian cooking all use nut oils you will find that Pine Nut Oil will blend flawlessly into recipes. Nobody will know that you've gone all fusion on them because they are used to the flavor already being there. It's brilliant!
WHERE TO GET IT
Since we live in South Korea and we love to buy local, we get our Pine Nut Oil from street markets like this one in Seoul. We have not purchased it at any of the local markets but we imagine it would be there as well. Folks in the states can order it online from places like www.koreaunique.com
Shopping Note: 국산 basically means "handmade/homemade"
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