About Our Oil
Today, we'd like to share our commitment to oil selection.
Oil is a crucial ingredient in curry. The reason is simple: "aromatic compounds dissolve easily in oils." Many of the spices essential to curry are oil-soluble. Flavor compounds in spices exist in two types—oil-soluble and water-soluble. For example, even if you simmer oil-soluble spices in water alone, you won't fully extract their flavors.
Beyond spices, oil is indispensable for capturing the aroma of ingredients like onions. It also adds depth and smoothness to the dish—a vital component.
Precisely because oil plays such an important role, we carefully choose which oils to use and for what purpose. At Fresh Street Curry (FSC), we'd like to share our approach to oil selection.
Rice Bran Oil for Curry Roux
Rice bran oil is a plant-based oil derived from rice bran produced during the milling of brown rice. It boasts excellent nutritional value, including vitamin E and oleic acid, which helps lower bad cholesterol. However, its greatest advantage is being "resistant to oxidation and neutral in flavor." Since FSC curry roux is aged in cold storage after production, rice bran oil—which resists oxidation—is ideal. Its neutral taste also ensures delicate spice flavors aren't compromised.
Rice bran oil is used extensively throughout FSC, including in Fresh Pork and Raita.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Fresh Chicken
Our popular Fresh Chicken is crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and marinated in a special spice oil before grilling. We use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Since this dish contains only domestic chicken thighs, salt, spices, and oil, the quality of each ingredient directly reflects the final taste.
Our commitment here is using Extra Virgin Olive Oil rather than regular olive oil. EVOO is made by cold-pressing premium olives. It has low acidity and contains many natural compounds that contribute to its distinctive flavor and health benefits. In contrast, regular olive oil is made from lower-grade olives that are cold-pressed, then refined and deodorized.
While regular olive oil—being flavorless and having a relatively high smoke point—is suited for frying, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is essential when you want to impart olive oil's characteristic flavor.
Pure Beef Tallow for Fresh Hamburger
Beef tallow is rendered beef fat, typically refined and solidified for culinary use. Most beef tallow in circulation is refined, but FSC carefully selects unrefined, pure beef tallow—fat in its natural state. This preserves the tallow's original richness and flavor, making it exceptionally delicious. We primarily use A5-grade Kobe beef tallow, supplemented by premium domestic wagyu tallow, to craft our hamburgers.
Black Sesame Oil for Mackerel Keema
Our Mackerel Keema is made with mackerel and green onions using a secret recipe. When mixed into curry, it adds a Japanese touch and fills your mouth with umami—a popular topping. We use black sesame oil, as the rich aroma of roasted sesame is essential to Mackerel Keema's character.
White sesame oil is made by pressing raw sesame seeds without heat, resulting in a nearly odorless oil—ideal when you want to cook without adding sesame flavor.
Mackerel Keema also uses rice bran oil, specifically to extract the flavor of red chilies.
How was that? At FSC, we're committed to safe, quality ingredients and providing healthy, addictive curry. That's why we're transparent about what we use. Oil is a crucial ingredient that defines taste. We wanted to share our intentional approach to which oils we use and why.
Here's to a delicious curry day.
FRESH STREET CURRY