All terms Science
Smoke Point
The temperature at which a fat begins to break down, smoke, and produce harmful compounds during cooking.
Smoke point is the temperature at which a cooking fat begins to thermally degrade, visibly smoking and producing free radicals, acrolein, and off-flavors. Past this temperature, the fat is no longer safe or palatable. A2 desi ghee has an unusually high smoke point of around 250°C (482°F), making it one of the safest fats for high-heat Indian cooking, sautéing, deep-frying, tadka. Cold-pressed mustard oil sits around 250°C as well. Refined oils have artificially raised smoke points but at the cost of stripped nutrients and chemical residues.