Rapeseed Fields

You might be more familiar with the term canola because we all use canola oil for cooking, but canola are particular varieties of rapeseed oil that have been bred to be more pleasing to our taste buds. Rapeseed oil is bitter in taste due to its high levels of erucic acid, which is probably why it was used to lubricate steam engines in the 19th century.

But why is it called canola oil? Since 1936 rapeseed had been grown mainly in Canada or Saskatchewan so Canadian plant breeders worked to improve the quality of the plant. Eventually with the help of selective breeding a rapeseed low in erucic acid was cultivated and was named Canola, from Canadian oil, low acid.

Today rapeseed is grown for biodiesel, vegetable oil and the production of animal feed.