Coconut Oil Classification
According to different preparation methods and raw materials, coconut oil is roughly divided into crude coconut oil (coconut hair oil), refined coconut oil (RBD) and virgin coconut oil (VCO).
VCO stands for VIRGIN COCONUT OIL, among which VIRGIN means original state and natural. Some literature also calls virgin coconut oil as original ecological coconut oil or natural coconut oil. In Taiwan province, it is also called "virgin coconut oil". It means that the oil is pure and free of foreign matter, and basically maintains the original color and flavor endowed by nature, and the processing process is as simple as possible.
1. Coconut crude oil
Refers to the coconut oil made from copra (copra is made by sun-dried, smoked, and heated in a kiln) and squeezed or extracted. It is also called coconut hair oil. Coconut crude oil is dark in color, and because of its high acidity, poor taste and peculiar smell, it cannot be eaten directly and is mostly used in industry.
2. Refined coconut oil
Refers to coconut oil produced from coconut crude oil through degumming, deacidification, decolorization, deodorization and other refining processes. Refined coconut oil improves the acidity, taste and odor of coconut crude oil, but its rich nutrients, such as phenolic compounds, antioxidant substances, vitamins, etc., are also lost in large quantities. Refined coconut oil, colorless and odorless, is mostly used in the cosmetic and food industries. In life, since refined coconut oil can withstand higher cooking temperatures, it is more suitable for fried chicken and French fries.
3. Virgin coconut oil
Refers to the use of mechanical pressing, low-temperature cold pressing (without chemical refining, decolorization or deodorization), extracted from mature fresh coconut meat, not copra. The oil can be eaten directly, has the advantages of good taste, pure coconut flavor, no peculiar smell, rich nutrition, etc., and can be used for food cooking and baking.
Simply put, since the coconut meat is untreated and unprocessed, the oil obtained is called "virgin" coconut oil, or "extra virgin" coconut oil.
