What Is Oleo?

If you come across some older recipes, you might find an ingredient called Oleo. That you may not be familiar with it, it was once a popular ingredient. So, you may wonder, what is Oleo?

Oleo, also known as oleomargarine, is another name for margarine. It is a butter substitute that consists of vegetable oil, water, and salt. It also contains other ingredients and flavoring to give it a taste and appearance like real butter.

WHAT IS OLEO IN BAKING?

The origin of Oleo goes all the way back to 1813 when a French chemist by the name of Michel Eugène Chevreul discovered margaric acid. This led scientists to believe that three fatty acids, margaric acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid, combined to make up most animal fats.

BRIEF HISTORY

As the American economy was undergoing a shift from agriculture to industrial Dairy farmers felt threatened by this new product. Worried that it would take away their jobs, dairy farmers wrote an appeal to Congress.

AMERICA AND OLEO

Though in many cases butter and Oleo can be used interchangeably in recipes, they are not the same thing. Butter is simply churned butter or cream, it does not contain artificial ingredients. Oleo, on the other hand, uses vegetable oil, water, salt, and other natural and artificial ingredients.

ARE OLEO AND BUTTER THE SAME THING?

Oleo is the same thing as margarine, which is a butter substitute. However, people these days generally just call it margarine. It contains vegetable oils, generally soybean, corn, palm, canola or olive oils, water, and salt, along with other natural and artificial ingredients as well.

What Is Oleo?