What is "cohune oil"

n. semisolid fat from nuts of the cohune palm; used in cooking and soap making [syn: cohune-nut oil, cohune fat]

Cohune oil is pressed from the seeds of the cohune palm, which is native to Central and South America.

Along with other byproducts of the palm, cohune oil is believed to have been used by cultures in southern Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian era, in particular by the Maya. Uses of the oil include as a lubricant, for cooking, soapmaking and lamp oil. For this latter purpose the oil was placed in earthenware or soapstone lamps and lit with a wick, for cooking and illumination.

Cohune oil is made up of the following portions of fatty acids:

Fatty acid

Percentage

Caprylic

7.5%

Capric

6.5%

Lauric

46.5%

Myristic

16.0%

Palmitic

9.5%

Stearic

3.0%

Oleic

10.0%

Linoleic

1.0%