category: food/groceries: cooking fat

Shortening

Shortening is a semisolid fat suited for baking and frying. It contains no water and therefore has a higher smoke point than margarine and butter. It is an industrial product and popular in food industry because it is cheap, needs no refrigeration and prolongs the shelf-life of baked goods. On the other hand it contains trans fats and is thought to be damaging to health.