Walnut Oil

Walnut Oil: Nutrition and Complete Culinary Guide

Walnut oil is cold-pressed from whole or roasted walnuts, producing an intensely flavourful, rich oil with a distinctive nutty, slightly bitter character. It is produced primarily in France (particularly in the Dordogne and Périgord regions, where walnut oil has been made since the medieval period), in California, and in China. French cold-pressed walnut oil — made from lightly toasted walnuts — is considered the finest quality and has a flavour profile of incomparable depth and richness. Walnut oil is one of the plant oils richest in omega-3 ALA — approximately 13 g per 100 g — and also provides significant omega-6 linoleic acid. Its high polyunsaturated fat content makes it unsuitable for cooking — it oxidises and develops unpleasant flavours at even moderate temperatures — and it is best used exclusively as a finishing and salad oil.

Nutritional Value

Walnut oil provides 884 kcal and 100 g of fat per 100 g, with 9.1 g of saturated fat. The fat is approximately 13% ALA omega-3 and 52% linoleic acid omega-6 — a high PUFA oil with meaningful omega-3 content. Vitamin E is present alongside polyphenols from the walnut skin. The omega-6:omega-3 ratio of approximately 4:1 is one of the better ratios among culinary oils.

How to Use Walnut Oil

Use exclusively cold — never heat walnut oil. Dress autumn salads with walnut oil and a little sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar — the pairing with bitter greens (chicory, radicchio, endive) and blue cheese or Roquefort is one of the classic French salad combinations. Drizzle over pasta and gnocchi. Use in cold noodle dishes. Combine with lemon juice and herbs for fish tartare. Walnut oil finishes a roasted beetroot salad magnificently. Store refrigerated and use within two to three months of opening — it goes rancid quickly.