Cottonseed oil is the edible oil that is squeezed out of the white velvet cotton seeds after picking. It was very common in rural areas in the past. The edible oil in every household is not necessarily cottonseed oil. , but there will definitely be some cottonseed oil. After pressing the oil, the family usually presses the fried dough sticks and meatballs twice to celebrate the harvest. This is basically the case in every household. Cotton can be sold, and the seeds can be extracted for oil. There are also few pests and diseases. The whole village grows this, and there are also cotton stations for harvesting cotton in towns and villages in my hometown.

It can be controlled, so cottonseed oil produced by regular enterprises can be eaten with confidence, and you can judge whether the cottonseed oil contains gossypol from the taste, because containing gossypol will make you feel astringent and numb. That was one of the main cooking oils I ate as a kid. My hometown belongs to the cotton growing area in northwest Shandong. In the past, 80% to 90% of my family ate cottonseed oil. Relatively speaking, it is the cheapest. In recent years, I have gradually switched to soybean oil and peanut oil.

The smoke smells strong, the color is black, and it tastes a bit bitter. When I was a child, I thought it was the same. Maybe it was when I was growing up, and I didn’t have any requirements for delicious food, as long as I could eat enough. Because at that time, buying gas required a ticket. The little oil in the family's food supply is simply not enough to eat. I don't even bother to use oil for cooking. The little oil I supply is reserved for the Chinese New Year or when guests come to the house.

In the past, cottonseed oil was reddish-brown like soybean oil and sesame oil. After purification, it is the same as barreled soybean oil. If the soybean oil is adulterated, it is impossible to tell. In the past, cottonseed oil was highly toxic and had a lot of pesticide residues. It was highly toxic and had a long residual effect. Black oil is the cottonseed left over from cotton ginning, crushed into pieces by a large roller, fried and steamed, and then stacked to produce artificially squeezed cottonseed oil. Cottonseed oil has a very bad taste. It is not bitter because it contains gossypol, so it is very astringent. If you take a bite, it will be difficult to open your mouth and your tongue will feel stiff. Therefore, the cottonseed oil that was distributed was the treasured oil of farmers at that time!