Beef fat, grated zucchini, compote… Our readers’ ideas for coping with the shortage of sunflower oil

“Fries, fries, fries”… And if this famous line from the film Les Tuches was just a fantasy? Because to make fries, you have to fry them in sunflower oil (even if Belgian purists would say no). Problem, supermarket shelves are very poor in oil at the moment.

This shortage is explained in particular by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia: the two countries represent 80% of world exports for this “yellow gold”. But don’t panic, if you’re having trouble finding an alternative to sunflower oil for your dishes, our readers have found the solution.

The opportunity to make culinary discoveries

At 30, Sam decided to become a vegetarian and change his whole diet: “I actually noticed that sunflower oil was becoming increasingly rare. Being a fan of Italian cuisine. It is therefore natural that olive oil has replaced sunflower oil in my salads, my pasta and my vegetables. But what bothers me the most is that it’s more and more difficult for me to find margarine on the shelves…” But against bad luck, the young woman takes advantage of this shortage to make new culinary discoveries, “in particular hazelnut oil, sesame oil and walnut oil, [elle] loves. »

If Sam gives us some advice for choosing her oil, Isabelle has found healthy and quite original alternatives in her fridge. “You can replace the fat in a cake with compote, a banana, grated zucchini… I guarantee you that your cake will be super moist and you won’t notice it. And if you want to make fries, the ancients used beef fat. »

“This oil is bad for your health”

But it must be said, sunflower oil was already not unanimous among our readers. “I have excluded seed oils from my diet. I mainly consume olive, walnut and coconut oil. For fries, beef fat is preferred,” Eabha whispers. A lack of love that Hatice shares: “This oil is bad for your health, I have avoided refined oils as much as possible, especially sunflower oil for several years. I only cook with olive oil, butter and coconut oil, the only ones that can withstand heat to a certain degree each. “And beware of those who consume industrial products, factories can now replace sunflower with other oils, without specifying it, including “palm oil which is very harmful to health”, explains Léa who tells us about it. admits to being very careful about what she eats “I’m going to be careful…use olive oil and butter for homemade pasta and cakes”.

However, if you are not always convinced by the advice of our readers and your shelves are empty, you can always go in search of a few bottles of sunflower oil, and decide to store them at home. With its “22 one-litre, two-litre and three-litre bottles”, Mavrick has stocked up on sunflower oil and admits to not fearing a shortage. However, would he be ready to share them? Nothing is less sure.

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