Palm Oil

Palm Oil, fixed oil made by pressing the fruit of the palm tree Elaeis guineensis, native of the west coast of Africa. Pure palm oil is a rich orange-yellow color; it has a sweet taste and an agreeable odor. It is liquid in the tropics, but hardens into 'palm butter' under cooler temperatures. Palm oil is used in the manufacture of soap, liniments, and ointments, and in West African and Brazilian cooking. Its chief chemical constituent is palmitic acid. Oil is also obtained from the kernel of the palm fruit. Known as palm-kernel oil, this is a lighter oil, resembling coconut oil.