Young girl with a pink dress in a field of yellow rapeseed in the Spring in Chesham, Bucks, United Kingdom
It's that time of year when fields across Britain glow dandelion-yellow with rapeseed, the fragrant and familiar crop that is an irritant to hay fever sufferers and farmers alike. What was once grown merely as a "break" crop – used to suppress weeds and improve soil quality in fallow times, and fit only for animal feed – is now gaining a certain culinary respectability. When cold-pressed, rapeseed provides a cooking oil with a grassy, "green" taste. Thanks to some eye-catching health properties, it also makes for a fitter fry-up. Little wonder, then, that homegrown rapeseed has been dubbed "the British olive oil". There are various well-known converts to the rapeseed revolution. Chefs James Martin, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Tristan Welch are devotees of its gentle, almost dusty flavours. It is the oil of choice in the kitchens of The Dorchester, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons and the House of Lords. But where rapeseed oil was once only available in delis and Fortnum & Mason, it is now widely stocked in supermarkets. Apart from its local provenance, rapeseed oil's big selling point, say converts, is its health-giving properties. As with olive oil, rapeseed oil contains Omegas 3, 6 and 9, essential fatty acids known to reduce cholesterol and maintain heart health, joint mobility and brain function. It is also a rich, natural source of vitamin E. High in mono-unsaturated fats, it is one of the few unblended oils that can be heated to deep-frying temperature without its antioxidants, character, colour and flavour spoiling. In short, it is one of best "good" oils.
Size: 4000px × 3000px
Location: Chesham, Bucks, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Biblio Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: Yes
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