[asokoloski]

It's more of a desire for oils than a need. Humans don't need to eat processed oils at all. We can get all the essential fatty acids we need from regular food -- even without eating fish. Oils are not even healthy, they're just concentrated calories. It's just that they taste good.

As far as for other uses of vegetable oils, I can't really comment.

[jolmg]

> It's just that they taste good.

I don't know about others, but I don't really care about the taste of oil. My main use of oil is to lubricate so food doesn't stick to pans (non-stick coating doesn't completely eliminate this need) and also to penetrate food and aid in its thorough cooking.

I can live without oil, but, for example, that means I cannot make fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or omelettes. I can only think of making hard-boiled eggs, or poached eggs. Not using oil really seems to limit options.

Also, I don't think this is a problem limited to oil. It's probably a problem with most parts of our food sourcing.

There's also lots to be heard on the animal cruelty done to chickens in the interest of efficiency and bringing down costs for the production of eggs and chicken meat. For example, they're supposedly put in cages too small to stretch, and their beaks are broken to avoid them killing each other out of desperation[1]. From the source I referenced:

> Since birds crowded like this commonly go mad and peck one another to death, these birds were debeaked, a practice whereby workers grab baby chicks in one hand and thrust their beaks between hot, steaming blades. Workers cut off anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of chicks’ beaks while they’re fully conscious. The industry calls this “trimming their beaks.” But slicing chickens’ beaks off with a heated blade or a scissor device, as is frequently done, is not like trimming your nails. Birds’ beaks are sensitive, highly innervated and able to feel pain and other sensations. It would be like having your toes cut off without anesthesia. Not only do chickens rely on their beaks for many functions, having their beaks severed causes them immense, acute, and, often, lifelong pain.

Maybe I should just stop eating eggs altogether.

Really, maybe I should just go vegan.

[1] https://www.salon.com/2019/04/20/i-studied-factory-farms-for...

[hombre_fatal]

> I can live without oil, but, for example, that means I cannot make fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or omelettes. I can only think of making hard-boiled eggs, or poached eggs. Not using oil really seems to limit options.

You don't need oil, you just need a better non-stick pan.

[jolmg]

I'm using Tefal/T-fal, the original creators of non-stick cookware, and the pans are practically new (got them a few months ago). I'd like to think they're good enough.

Can you really make a fried egg by putting just the egg on a pan, and avoid the bottom caramelizing? There's also the concern of the lifetime of the pan. Tefal recommends adding a layer of oil to the pan before use (I think it's called curing or seasoning a pan?).

[tangue]

From my personal experience you can't. I'm using butter. (for health reason I should use clarified butter I know...) Though I'm not sure that cows are better treated than orangutans

[qes]

Yes, it works fine in a cheaper non-stick pan I have, as well as in some nicer, but not exorbitant, ceramic coated pans. No oil necessary.

[katbyte]

I'd rather not cook with chemically treated pans that always eventually become stick as the coating wears off. I'll stick with my stainless or cast iron that'll last me a lifetime.

[arist0tl3]

I feel like the (possible health) and environmental impacts of the chemicals used in most non-stick cookware make that a non-option for many.

Cast iron with your choice of fat has served me well since switching over completely from non-stick.

[sosborn]

Or some butter.

[erikpukinskis]

What is are examples of cuisines that use no oils?

[asokoloski]

Hmm, you know what, I've been researching this a bit more and it seems like I was wrong. Apparently many cultures did boil seeds to produce oils for cooking or other purposes. I expect that they probably didn't eat as much oil as we do, given that this would have been more labor intensive than what we can do with modern farming and factories. But it makes sense to try to get your calories any way you can.

[arcticbull]

We’ve been making animal fats (butter), rendered animal fats (lard, tallow) and pressed fats (coconut, olive, seed) forever.