Types of Coconut Oil

Before discussing the various types of coconut oil, I would like to address a common question of terminology. Many people have inquired about the difference between coconut butter and coconut oil. They are one and the same thing. We generally think of oil as being liquid and since the liquid-solid transition temperature of coconut oil is approximately 76°F, it is often solid at room temperature and is therefore frequently referred to as coconut butter (since we think of butter as being solid at room temperature).

The most commonly available oil and the oil you are most likely to find (if you can find it) is RBD oil. Refined, Bleached & Deodorized. This oil is produced from copra (dried coconut meat). Due to the drying process (often air or sun drying) the resulting oil must be refined, bleached and deodorized in order to make it suitable for use. The final product is yellowish-white in color with a thick texture and no taste or odor. This was the oil which for many years was used in commercial baked goods and for popping corn. Although coconut palms do grow in some states in the United States, this RBD oil is generally the only oil which might be familiar to those of us living in the U.S.A. Although it has been exposed to bleach, solvents, high temperatures, etc. this oil is referred to as "natural" in the Western World, in essence meaning only that it has not been hydrogenated and melts at around 76° F.