Red Palm Oil. Is it supposed to be gross?

[Koalamom]

I have been using Spectrum palm shortening, which is tasteless and white, but my local HFS now carries the real deal- Red Palm Oil from Jungle Products, Extra Virgin, organic. I opened it up and it smells gross, tasted it and almost gagged.
How do I use this stuff and is it supposed to be this bad?

[stephienoodle]

I wouldn't think it should make you gag (though maybe by itself...) but yeah... it isn't the best smell. It isn't versatile like the white palm oil. I pretty much only use it for savory veggie dishes.

[PeggyinNC]

Seems to me that there are two kinds of palm oil...palm kernel oil and palm oil. One is red, the other not. I use the Spectrum white stuff instead of shortening, and like it very much. I also have a jar of the good red stuff from Wilderness Family Naturals, and I must confess, the bright color is a little off-putting. However, when I have mustered my courage to taste the stuff straight, it tastes really good! I just have trouble finding stuff that the bright orange/red color is not odd. Use it for stuff that normally turns that color, like when I am using a lot of chili powder or whatever. It really is good stuff, and I keep trying to find more uses for it...hope someone has more ideas. Mine tastes andn smells really good, but it was quite expensive. Just hope I can figure out how to use it.

[heidirk]

does it go rancid? Maybe it's not too fresh?

Maybe you're a supertaster?

[Llyra]

The white palm oil shortening IS the red palm oil, but refined and deodorized. Palm kernel oil is something else entirely.

[FireWithin]

I only rarely use the red stuff. The scent is odd and the flavor different.
I was told about it as a teenager when a Nigerian friend taught me one of her rice recipes. I didn't have it then, but now that i know the flavor I can totally see it working with that recipe.

It was just a rice recipe heavy with fried onions, tomatoes, curry like flavors (I think).