Cooking Oils
The Hidden Geography of Health
Key Takeaways:
Sunflower dominance: 59.7% overall use, but strong regional variation—groundnut oil is 51.9% in Chennai vs 24.7% in Mumbai (2.1x difference).
Ghee and wealth: Usage rises with income, from 32.3% (<₹6L) to 49.5% (>₹25L), showing traditional fats gain popularity with economic security.
Olive oil as premium: Even at the highest incomes, only 13.3% use it, keeping anti-inflammatory benefits tied to affordability.
Mustard oil persistence: Clear North–South divide that urbanization has not erased.
Gen Z surprise: Higher ghee use (38.1%) than Gen X (30.4%), challenging the idea that younger professionals reject tradition.
Making Sense of Oils and Everyday Health
No oil is completely “good” or “bad.” Each brings distinct benefits, including vitamins, healthy fats, or stability in cooking, along with trade-offs like high omega-6 levels, excess saturated fat, or processing concerns.
For working professionals, the choice of oil affects more than taste: it influences heart health, metabolism, and overall wellbeing.
The key is balance: using the right oils for the right purpose, and avoiding over-reliance on a single type
Sunflower Oil
59.7%
High in vitamin E, heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats, neutral taste for versatile cooking
High omega-6 content may promote inflammation if not balanced with omega-3s
Ghee
35.0%
Contains fat-soluble vitamins A/D/E/K, stable at high cooking temperatures, supports gut health
High in saturated fat, calorie-dense, expensive
Mustard Oil
32.3%
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antimicrobial properties, traditional preservation benefits
Erucic acid content (though Indian varieties are low), strong flavor limits versatility
Groundnut Oil
26.6%
Balanced fatty acid profile, high smoke point good for deep frying, vitamin E content
Potential allergen concerns, moderate omega-6 levels
Rice Bran Oil
16.5%
Contains oryzanol which may help lower cholesterol, high smoke point, mild flavor
Processing concerns, relatively expensive
Olive Oil
8.5%
Rich in monounsaturated fats, anti-inflammatory compounds, heart disease protection
Expensive, low smoke point (extra virgin), limited availability
The Kitchen Reality
Across 3,404 Urban Homes
In Indian households, cooking oil is rooted in cultural identity, economic signals, and regional traditions. What ends up in the kadhai is shaped not only by taste but also by what’s accessible, affordable, and familiar.
Our analysis of 3,404 urban professional kitchens shows that these choices are rarely individual. Geography steers preferences toward mustard in the East, groundnut in the West, or sunflower in the South. Generational habits decide whether ghee is celebrated or moderated. Income levels dictate whether rice bran and olive oils are occasional additions or daily staples.
Taken together, these patterns reflect more than dietary variety, they reveal how India’s workforce balances heritage, health awareness, and practical constraints in the simple act of choosing oil.
Overall Oil Landscape
Sunflower Oil
59.7%
Widely available, affordable, neutral taste
Ghee
35.0%
Traditional cooking, family recipes, perceived health benefits
Mustard Oil
32.3%
Regional cultural preference, family tradition
Groundnut Oil
26.6%
Regional availability, good for frying
Rice Bran Oil
16.5%
Health consciousness, doctor recommendations
Olive Oil
8.5%
Health awareness, premium positioning
Sunflower oil’s popularity highlights the pull of urban convenience, while the continued use of ghee in 35% of homes shows how traditional fat wisdom still holds ground against modern shifts.
When Culture Shapes the Plate
Our findings show that regional cooking traditions continue to dictate oil choices, creating distinct nutritional patterns that hold strong despite urbanization.
The most striking finding reveals how regional cooking traditions create systematic nutrition differences that resist urban homogenization.
Regional Oil Identity Patterns
Chennai
77
66.2%
23.4%
5.2%
51.9%
South Indian groundnut culture
Hyderabad
362
77.6%
24.9%
12.7%
40.9%
Convenience modernization leader
Bengaluru
728
64.1%
38.9%
26.2%
32.1%
Tech professional balance
Mumbai
566
67.8%
32.0%
21.7%
24.7%
Cosmopolitan adaptation
Pune
554
66.1%
32.7%
17.9%
29.8%
Marathi cultural influence
In Chennai, groundnut oil leads with 51.9% of kitchens using it, compared to just 24.7% in Mumbai—a 2.1x regional difference. This shows how deeply cultural food identity shapes choices, regardless of urbanization, income, or health awareness.
Hyderabad stands out with sunflower oil dominating 77.6% of households, underscoring how South Indian cities are at the forefront of convenience-driven oils.
By contrast, Mustard oil use shows a clear North–South divide. Unlike sunflower or groundnut oils, its presence is driven less by income or convenience and more by cultural roots. Even when professionals move across cities, they often carry this cooking tradition with them, showing how strongly food identity resists urban standardization.
The Cultural Geography Insight
Groundnut oil usage across cities:
Chennai: 51.9% (traditional South Indian preservation)
Hyderabad: 40.9% (moderate regional influence)
Bengaluru: 32.1% (tech cosmopolitan adaptation)
Pune: 29.8% (mixed regional patterns)
Mumbai: 24.7% (urban convenience dominance)
Groundnut oil is a regional traditional oil, deeply rooted in the food cultures of Western and Southern India. Its widespread use reflects both local cultivation and long-standing culinary preference, making it as integral to these regions as mustard oil is to the North and East.
Together, these patterns show that cultural food traditions continue to guide oil preferences, even in cities most exposed to globalization and modern lifestyles.
How Income Shapes Oil Choices
Economic resources create clear differences in cooking oil use.
Higher-income households have greater access to premium oils like rice bran and olive oil, which are often chosen for their perceived health benefits. Middle- and lower-income groups rely more on staples such as sunflower and groundnut, where cost and availability dominate decisions.
Wealth and Traditional Fat Revival
< ₹6 lakh
1,218
62.0%
32.3%
5.9%
Basic convenience focus
₹6-10 lakh
732
61.5%
32.4%
9.6%
Middle stability
₹10-15 lakh
455
58.5%
31.6%
9.2%
Professional standard
₹15-25 lakh
381
59.8%
43.0%
8.4%
Traditional fat appreciation
> ₹25 lakh
293
51.5%
49.5%
13.3%
Premium traditional access
Traditional Fats and Economic Security
Ghee use rises steadily with income, increasing 53% from the lowest earners (32.3%) to the highest (49.5%). This suggests that economic security makes it easier for households to retain and appreciate traditional fats, even though ghee is more expensive and requires greater care in preparation.
Olive oil use is still rare. Even in households earning more than ₹25 lakh, only 13.3% use it. Access to its benefits skews heavily toward high-income households, showing how certain oils can shape health differences across income groups.
The Convenience–Wealth Inversion
Sunflower oil displays the opposite pattern. Among lower-income households, usage stands at 62.0%, reflecting its role as an affordable, versatile staple. At the highest income levels, usage drops to 51.5%, as professionals diversify into a wider range of oils.
Sunflower oil usage decreases with wealth:
<₹6L: 62.0% (convenience necessity)
₹25L: 51.5% (choice diversity)
This inversion underscores how wealth shifts consumption away from convenience-driven oils toward more varied and selective choices.
When Youth Embraces Tradition
Age-related cooking oil patterns reveal unexpected traditional fat appreciation among younger professionals, challenging assumptions about generational food modernization.
The Traditional Fat Generation Gap
Gen Z (22-27)
808
62.3%
38.1%
34.4%
9.3%
Higher traditional adoption
Millennials (28-42)
2,230
59.1%
34.3%
31.7%
8.0%
Moderate balance
Gen X (43+)
332
57.2%
30.4%
30.1%
9.9%
Experience-based choices
Tradition Among the Young
Cooking oil choices by generation reveal an unexpected trend— younger professionals are more likely to embrace traditional fats than older groups. Gen Z reports ghee usage of 38.1% compared to 30.4% for Gen X, a relative increase of 25%. Mustard oil also peaks among Gen Z at 34.4%, suggesting that cultural food habits remain stronger among the youngest professionals than expected.
Even with less cooking experience, Gen Z demonstrates greater diversity in traditional oil use. This may reflect family knowledge preserved during extended time at home, a health-conscious outlook that values traditional fats, and the continuation of regional identity through cooking oil choices.
Individual Factors vs. Structural Drivers
Cooking oil patterns show little variation by gender or stress level. Male and female professionals, as well as high- and low-stress groups, display broadly similar usage once geography and income are taken into account. This reinforces that oil choices are shaped far more by cultural traditions and economic access than by individual traits.
Oils and Heart Health
Cooking oils are one of the largest sources of dietary fat for India’s urban workforce. The type of oil used influences cholesterol levels, inflammation, and nutrient absorption, factors that directly affect cardiovascular health.
Because oils are consumed daily, their patterns create long-term differences in heart risk and protection across regions and income groups.
Regional advantages
Groundnut oil concentrations in Chennai (51.9%) and Hyderabad (40.9%) provide balanced fatty acids.
Olive oil adoption (8.5% overall) offers anti-inflammatory protection where available.
Economic divides
Among the wealthiest (>₹25L), olive oil use rises to 13.3%, concentrating cardiovascular benefits within high-income groups.
Ghee use also rises with income (49.5%), supporting fat-soluble vitamin absorption and stable cooking practices.
Regional risks
Sunflower oil dominates overall (59.7%), offering cholesterol reduction benefits but limiting fat diversity, which may heighten long-term risk in regions where alternatives are scarce.
Traditional fat validation
Ghee’s 35% usage is not uninformed tradition; it reflects growing recognition of its health benefits, including gut health support and cooking stability.
What Oil Choices Show
Cooking oil use highlights how culture, geography, and income shape daily nutrition in India’s cities. Groundnut oil varies 2.1x between Chennai and Mumbai, ghee use rises 53% from lowest to highest earners, and Gen Z shows a stronger interest in traditional fats than Gen X.
These patterns point to environment, not individual taste, as the real driver of oil choices.
Two themes stand out. Cultural traditions continue to hold strong despite modernization, keeping regional identities alive in the kitchen. At the same time, income gives wealthier households both the ability to preserve traditional fats like ghee and the option to add premium oils such as olive. This creates clear nutrition divides, where health benefits cluster with economic access.
In the end, oil choices show how everyday cooking reflects deeper forces: culture as a health determinant and income as a gatekeeper of nutrition advantages.
Last updated
Was this helpful?