Discover Wholesome Goodness of Palm Oil

"Awareness is like the Sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed."

I'm a believer of the fact that until you know about something in and out, just do not make an opinion. And it stands true for everything in life, be it a person, a thing or a situation. I genuinely look for opportunities wherein some trustworthy information is accessible to me. 

This Monday (i.e. on January 6th, 2020), I got one such opportunity to attend Palm Oil: Gourmet Delight, an amazing bloggers' meet-cum-food hunt organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) at Sip n Dine Banquet, Chandigarh where Ms. Bhavna Shah (Country Representative, India and Sri Lanka, MPOC) apprised us about Malasiyan Palm Oil which happens to be most dominant vegetable oil in the market.

PC: worldatlas.com

Through her presentation, Ms. Bhavna delineated not just the process of origination of palm oil, but also threw light on how each of us directly or indirectly consumes it almost every day. I was astonished to know the multitude of health benefits that palm oil might provide us without any side effects.

Just to encapsulate, sharing a few pointers that I fetched at the event-

• Palm oil is made from the fruit of the palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). The oil palm yield has two types. One is extracted from the flesh of the fruit, called as palm oil and the other from the seed called as palm kernel oil.
• Palm Oil and its derivatives are widely used in a big percentage of our daily-use products including snacks, cosmetics, personal care, detergent, desserts, chocolates, margarine, bio diesel, packaged food items and much more.
• Other than on-shelf products, Palm Oil is extensively used for cooking or frying as it remains stable at high heat and is neutral in taste that doesn't alter the flavour or aroma of the dish.
• Palm oil is one of the most widely produced edible fats in the world. It is least expensive oil as compared to other edible oils due to its high-yielding crop. And that's why the relatively lesser price shouldn't be questionable for its efficacy/quality.
• Palm Oil doesn't contribute to any health hazards like heart condition, skin problems, brain malfunctioning; rather it's likely safe when consumed in sync with other oil blends that suit your body. If you find yourself unable to blend oils, then it's advised to switch oils after a regular interval and avail health benefits of all oils in-turns.
• Like all other vegetable oils, palm oil is cholesterol- free and it also has lower tendency to oxidize. It can be easily digested, absorbed and utilized by body as a source of energy.
• Lastly, I would like to specifically state here that palm oil industry is observing a number of laws and regulations to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment for achieving sustainability of palm oil production. For more relevant info, click www.mpoc.org.in

Unlike a usual meet up, the #MPOC event was more of a Laugh-n-Learn get together where the hosts had lined up some action-packed fun activities for the attendees to enhance our finite understanding of palm oil in an engaging manner.

As soon as the presentation was over, the bloggers were divided into small groups for the Food Hunt. We were given clue cards to decode the next venue name for the next activity. From Sip-n-Dine, we rushed to Crazy Town where we brainstormed really hard to crack some tricky questions about palm oil for the Quiz Competition.

By decoding another clue card, we stepped into another lively venue i.e. The Safe House for the Blind Food Tasting Session where we were served yummilicious delicacies cooked in palm oil and we enjoyed naming ingredients used in the dish with our eyes blindfolded during the activity. What amazed me during the food tasting is that the food cooked in palm oil tastes as good as any other cooking oil!

Our last pit-stop was at The Finch for Salad Making activity, where our team creatively crafted a healthy version of veggie salad. The Palmysterious Salad, as we named it lovingly, tasted so good with a dressing of palm oil ;)

While we were all engrossed in the delightful activities, a stage was being set at our original venue for a Bollywood themed competition. I bet everyone had an abundant dose of humour. I too attempted delivering a dialogue of SriDevi from the movie Chandni.

The judges awarded the best performers with the titles of King and Queen. The winning team was rewarded for their enthusiastic participation. The day ended with tasty lunch over a cheerful conversation with fellow bloggers.

My major takeaway from the event was a much clearer viewpoint on favourable nutritional effects of Malasiyan Palm Oil that would now lead me to its better acceptance in my daily household without any opinion conflicts.

Really feeling gratified to have attended this informative session by MPOC.