Olive oil or rapeseed oil: how to choose? A guide to home cooking and everyday oils in Hong Kong
On supermarket shelves, refined rapeseed oil (in Hong Kong often labelled “canola oil”) sits next to extra virgin olive oil, while social media often settles the matter with one line about “which has the higher smoke point”. For Hong Kong families, the real question is: how should you choose for everyday pan-frying and stir-frying, dressings, and when you want to keep the flavour?
The short answer: Both can be used as cooking oils. If you value a single ingredient, flavour and stability in medium-heat home cooking, a good-quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is often better suited to “one bottle, two uses” — drink it neat or drizzle it to keep the fruitiness, and pan-fry or stir-fry with it on medium heat too. Rapeseed / canola oil is mostly a refined seed oil with a neutral taste and an affordable price, suited to heavy frying or dishes where you don’t want an olive flavour. Below, we compare them point by point, drawing on publicly available food science views and the reality of Hong Kong kitchens.
Key points:
- “The higher the smoke point, the better for stir-frying” is not the full story; heat stability also depends on fatty acid composition, freshness, antioxidant compounds and the level of heat.
- Extra virgin olive oil has a simple composition (usually only what is pressed from olives), with fruitiness and slight bitterness and pepperiness; refined rapeseed / canola oil tastes neutral, with less depth of flavour.
- For Hong Kong home cooking — medium-heat pan-frying and stir-frying, choi sum, fried eggs and pan-fried fish — good-quality EVOO works perfectly well; long, repeated deep-frying is a different matter.
- When buying, look at cold pressing, origin, sealed packaging and freshness; after opening, keep it sealed, somewhere cool and away from the stove, and use it up soon.
- This article is for dietary and cooking reference only and makes no medical or therapeutic guarantees.
Smoke point and stability: a common myth, don’t look at just one number
The “smoke point” is the approximate temperature at which oil starts to smoke continuously when heated. The media often say extra virgin olive oil has “a low smoke point and can’t be used for stir-frying”, and recommend refined seed oils with high smoke points instead. Public food science sources paint a more nuanced picture:
- Smoke point varies with grade, quality and freshness; it is not a single fixed number. The University of California, Davis Food Quality program (UC Davis Food Quality) notes that olive oil can be used for cooking; its smoke point covers a fairly wide range depending on grade, quality and freshness; and good-quality extra virgin, being richer in natural antioxidants, helps reduce the formation of harmful compounds during heating. The same page also mentions that stir-frying broccoli in extra virgin preserves almost all of its vitamin C — showing that using it in the wok is not off-limits.
- Smoke point is not the same as “heat stability”. Comparative experiments and reviews often find that fresh EVOO, with a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat and natural antioxidants such as polyphenols, does not necessarily produce more oxidation products under reasonable heating than some refined oils “marketed for their high smoke point”. Seed oils with a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fat are, in theory, more prone to oxidation under high heat and repeated heating. Actual results still depend on the batch, the heat and whether burnt oil is reused.
- Heat in Hong Kong home cooking is mostly controllable. Medium-heat quick stir-fries, fried eggs, pan-fried fish and stir-fried greens are different from extreme “wok hei” blasting or long, repeated deep-frying. What you really should avoid is carrying on when the oil is giving off continuous bluish smoke, or reusing the same wok of oil until it changes taste and colour.
Key takeaway: There’s no need to rule out EVOO entirely because of a “smoke point” label, nor to demonise rapeseed oil. Choosing fresh, good-quality oil, cooking on medium heat and stopping as soon as it smokes is more practical than fixating on a single temperature figure. For wok temperature and when to add oil, see also: Does olive oil smoke when stir-frying? Wok heat + Hong Kong home cooking.
Flavour and composition: single-ingredient EVOO vs refined seed oil
Choosing an oil is not just about “can I cook with it”, but also “what do I want to taste in it”.
| Aspect | Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) | Refined rapeseed / canola oil |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Mainly cold pressed / mechanically pressed, not chemically refined (for oils meeting the grade standard) | Usually goes through refining steps such as degumming, deacidification, bleaching and deodorisation |
| Ingredient list | Ideally just one item: “olive oil” | Usually refined rapeseed / canola oil; some products may blend in other oils — check the label |
| Flavour | Grassy, green-fruit and green-apple notes; may have a gentle pepperiness in the throat (a common sensory trait of polyphenols) | Neutral, almost no aroma, rarely changes the original taste of a dish |
| Best uses | Drinking neat, dressings, drizzling over salads / pasta / hot dishes to finish; also medium-heat pan-frying and stir-frying | Heavy frying, baking, or dishes where you don’t want an olive flavour |
| Sensory value | The flavour itself is part of the food and the tasting experience | Mainly a “flavourless carrier”, with little to taste |
Refined is not a synonym for “toxic” — refining makes oil more stable and more neutral in taste, suited to industry and large-scale cooking. The difference is whether you want your kitchen oil to also bring fruitiness, single-ingredient transparency, and the idea common in the Mediterranean diet that “the oil itself is an ingredient”. See also the difference between cold-pressed and refined olive oil.
If you want one oil that covers both a neat-drinking habit and home pan-frying and stir-frying, check whether the ingredients are simple and the taste is gentle. For example, Mastri Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Olive Oil 750ml: 100% Italian, cold pressed, no additives or artificial flavourings, non-GMO ingredients, and the ingredient list is only extra virgin olive oil; the product description also points to everyday household low-to-medium-heat quick stir-frying and daily neat drinking. For how to drink it neat, see the olive oil drinking guide.
Hong Kong home cooking oil comparison table
Below is a qualitative comparison based on “common situations in Hong Kong homes”, for quick reference (not a ranking of health benefits):
| Situation | Better suited | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stir-fried choi sum / gai lan / spinach | Good-quality EVOO or fresh rapeseed oil both work | Medium heat, add oil after heating the pan; EVOO adds a light fruitiness |
| Fried eggs / pan-fried fish / pan-fried steak | EVOO (medium heat) | Add the food once the oil shimmers slightly; avoid fierce heat with bluish smoke |
| Fried rice / fried rice noodles | Either works | Fry in batches, don’t overfill the wok; heat control matters more than the type of oil |
| Salads, drizzling over steamed dishes, dipping bread | EVOO is clearly better | Refined rapeseed oil has almost no flavour to drizzle |
| A small morning habit / wanting to taste the oil itself | EVOO | See the drinking guide; people with gallbladder problems should consult a doctor and consider taking it with meals |
| Heavy deep-frying, prolonged high heat | Refined seed oils are more commonly chosen | Whatever the oil, throw it away if it has burnt or given off bluish smoke — don’t try to save it |
| Baking cakes and cookies (no olive taste wanted) | Rapeseed / canola oil is more neutral | EVOO can partly substitute, but it brings fruitiness |
A practical trade-off: if kitchen space is limited and you want to avoid “one bottle for drinking, another for cooking”, one good-quality EVOO is enough for most home cooking; if you deep-fry a lot every week, keep a separate refined oil for that and strictly limit how often you reuse it.
Storage and buying tips: cold pressing, origin and freshness
Even a good oil goes to waste if you buy or store it wrongly.
When buying, look for:
- Grade and processing: “Extra Virgin” and “cold pressed” better indicate an unrefined product that retains its natural aroma and polyphenols; refined olive oil or “pure olive oil” usually has less flavour and fewer polyphenols.
- Simple ingredients: check whether the label lists olive oil only; avoid packaging that plays on olive imagery while vaguely listing a “vegetable oil blend”.
- Origin and batch: a clearly stated country / region of origin helps traceability; Mastri highlights 100% Italian cold pressing, which is one piece of verifiable information.
- Packaging: a sealed bottle is better, stored somewhere cool and away from the stove; large clear plastic bottles under supermarket lights for a long time carry a higher oxidation risk.
- Freshness: check the best-before date; after opening, try to use it up within a few months (Mastri recommends using it within about six months of opening).
See also the extra virgin olive oil buying guide.
Storing it at home:
- Keep it sealed, somewhere cool and away from the stove; don’t leave it next to the hob or in direct sun by the window for long.
- Refrigeration is generally unnecessary: the fridge can make the oil thicken and solidify, and taking it in and out repeatedly can introduce moisture.
- Close the cap tightly to reduce contact with air.
- Oil that has given off continuous bluish smoke, tastes burnt and bitter, smells rancid or has clearly changed colour — throw it away, don’t use it for the next dish.
See also how to store olive oil after opening.
A practical starting point for switching from refined seed oil
If you are thinking of gradually switching your main kitchen oil from refined rapeseed / canola oil to extra virgin, there’s no need to overturn all your habits at once. Start with “dressings and finishing drizzles”, then move medium-heat pan-frying and stir-frying over to the same oil.
Mastri Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Olive Oil 750ml is positioned precisely to let Hong Kong families handle everyday cooking with one oil:
- Drinking neat / dressings: rounded fruitiness, with a pepperiness that doesn’t catch the throat, suited to first-time neat drinkers and families who care about simple ingredients (please still adjust to your own situation).
- Pan-frying, stir-frying and cooking: following the “hot pan, medium heat, oil just shimmering, no bluish smoke” principle, it suits everyday home stir-frying and pan-frying.
- Simple ingredients: 100% extra virgin olive oil, no additives, no artificial flavourings, GMO-free.
Further reading: Olive oil drinking guide | Does olive oil smoke when stir-frying?
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q1: Are rapeseed oil and canola oil the same thing?
In Hong Kong supermarkets, the Chinese label for “canola oil” usually refers to refined seed oils such as Canola / low-erucic-acid rapeseed oil, while the Chinese term for “rapeseed oil” is sometimes used more broadly. When buying, go by the ingredients and English name on the pack. This article compares this type of refined seed oil with extra virgin olive oil as an everyday choice, not individual brand formulations.
Q2: Can you really cook over heat with extra virgin olive oil?
Yes. Public food science sources (such as UC Davis) clearly refute the myth that “olive oil shouldn’t be used for cooking”. The key is medium heat, not waiting until it gives off bluish smoke, and not reusing burnt oil. See the stir-fry article for details.
Q3: Which oil is “healthier”?
This can’t be guaranteed in a single sentence. EVOO is often discussed in the context of the Mediterranean diet for its monounsaturated fat and natural polyphenols; refined rapeseed oil also contains unsaturated fats and has a neutral taste. Your overall diet, portions and cooking methods often matter more than “just switching one oil”. This article makes no medical claims.
Q4: Do I need two separate oils for cooking and drinking neat?
Not necessarily. One good-quality EVOO can do both: use medium heat for cooking; to enjoy its fruitiness, drink it neat or drizzle it over a dish once it’s off the heat. If you deep-fry a lot every week, keep a separate refined oil, and strictly avoid reusing burnt oil.
Q5: How do I know when the oil at home should be replaced?
If it has been open too long, smells rancid / like paint, has darkened unusually, or has smoked and burnt — replace it. It’s better to buy a bottle size that suits how much you use and keep it fresh than to stock up too much and let it go off.
Disclaimer
This article is for general dietary and home-cooking reference only and does not constitute medical advice, nutritional therapy or individual health advice. Extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed / canola oil are both everyday edible oil options and cannot replace a balanced diet, medication or professional diagnosis. Smoke point and heat stability vary with the oil batch, freshness, acidity and cooking conditions; public sources cited are for reference only and do not represent any therapeutic guarantee for any product. People with an acute gallstone attack, who have just had gallbladder surgery, who are allergic to olives, or who have other medical conditions should first consult a doctor or a qualified nutrition professional. For Oil Factorie / Mastri product information, please refer to the official product page.
