The purpose of this study was to research the amount of cooking oil used in mainstream Chinese cuisine, as well as the features of cooking oil used in different types of dishes. The results provide reference data for the assessment of edible oil intake for eating out. A total of 302 common Chinese dishes were chosen and prepared following standard procedures. The cooking oils used in these dishes were analyzed in terms of the cooking process, food material combination, types of primary food materials, type of cooking oil, and the purpose of the cooking oil. The results showed that the mean amount of cooking oil used per 100 g of food material was 8.1 g. There were no significant differences in the amount of cooking oil used in the eight major styles of Chinese cuisine. The average amount of cooking oil used in hot dishes (10.0 g) was higher than that used in cold dishes. The amount of cooking oil in pure meat, mixed meat-vegetable, and pure vegetable dishes was up to 10.9 g, 9.3 g, and 4.6 g, respectively. The findings of the present study could be used in future dietary surveys to determine the average oil consumption associated with different dishes. In addition, the results provide reference data for oil intake assessments in nutrition surveys or nutritional recipes.
Keywords: Chinese cuisine; cooking oil; diet; dining out; nutrition.