Shortening frying (heavy duty), palm (hydrogenated)

Heavy-duty frying shortening made from hydrogenated palm oil is a food-service staple built for commercial fryers rather than home kitchens. It is formulated to hold up under sustained high heat without breaking down as quickly as regular cooking oils, which is why it shows up in restaurants and fast-food operations frying French fries, doughnuts, fried chicken, and other deep-fried items in large batches over long shifts. It is solid or semi-solid at room temperature and melts into a clear liquid once heated, with a neutral flavor that does not compete with the food being fried.

It is sold in large blocks or pails for commercial use and stored at room temperature away from heat and light until needed, then kept in the fryer or resealed between uses. Nutritionally it is essentially pure fat, 100 g of fat per 100 g with no protein, fiber, or carbohydrate, and at 884 calories per 100 g it is calorie-dense like any fat or oil. The one nutrient of note is vitamin E, present at 127% DV per 100 g, a level typical of many refined vegetable and palm oils. This is a working ingredient for frying equipment, not a component of a home-cooked dish measured out for a recipe.