The Type Of Cooking Oil Panda Express Uses In Most Of Its Dishes - Tasting Table

"According to an official ingredients statement from the company, Panda Express opts for soybean oil to prepare most of its menu offerings. When foodies order popular entrees like broccoli beef, eggplant tofu, string bean chicken breast, kung pao chicken, and more, soybean oil is in the mix. Two of Panda Express' most popular side dishes, the chow mein and the fried rice, are also cooked in that ingredient."

"Generally speaking, this kind of cooking oil consists of 12%-15% saturated fat, making it lower by composition in harmful saturated fats than other cooking oils (and a good source of heart-healthy fats, according to Harvard Health Publishing). Still, this isn't to say that soybean oil is a health food; it's highly-processed and often genetically-modified. However, when it's subjected to an intense refining process, it also does not pose a threat to consumers with soy allergies."

"Perhaps befitting the American-Chinese takeaway chain's heritage, soybean oil's culinary uses trace back to 1000 C.E. in East Asia, and in 1942, the U.S. emerged as the global leader in soybean oil production. In the kitchen (home or commercial), soybean oil serves as a versatile tool with a neutral taste and high smoke point at 450 degrees Fahrenheit."

Panda Express prepares most of its menu offerings using soybean oil, including entrees such as broccoli beef, eggplant tofu, string bean chicken breast, and kung pao chicken, as well as sides like chow mein and fried rice. Soybean oil contains about 12%–15% saturated fat, which is lower in harmful saturated fats than many other cooking oils and contains heart-healthy fats. The oil is highly processed and often genetically modified, but intense refining removes impurities and can eliminate allergenic risk for most consumers. Soybeans are harvested, cleaned, dehulled, oil-extracted, and refined. Some items, including orange chicken, steamed rice, honey sesame chicken breast, and cream cheese rangoons, do not list soybean oil.

Read at Tasting Table