Olive oil has been used for several millennia. Its been used for baking, cooking, for oil lamps, religious ceremonies, herb/spice preservation's, and my cousin even used as sun tan oil. The best is extra virgin olive oil, unfiltered, and cold pressed. 80% of an olive fruit is oil.
Sunflower oil a lite oil used for frying, salad dressings, or for baking. A very good oil.
Vegetable oil very much like Sunflower oil. It doesn't add flavor to the foods you cook with. a very good oil.
Butter used for several millennia. Used in baking, grilling, and as a condiment for breads, meats, grits, pancakes, so many uses. This is made from the milk of certain mammals. I have a recipe if you would like to see how to make it. Beware of butter, well anything, that has natural flavorings added. This is going to shock you it can contain castoreum/ beaver anus, look it up if you don't believe me. I say this for the vegetarians sake just be careful.
Soy bean oil used in many salad dressings today. Some folks are allergic to soy. Soy is used in so many things today from condiments to every can of tuna fish packed in spring water. So if you are allergic please read the ingredients of what you purchase or get.
Margarine is basically soy and vegetable oil. It was made as a substitute for butter. Its good to coat anything on a smoker.
Mustard oil is used in so many way to help with health. However the US government, and the EU recommends not to consume it. It has less erucic acid then rapeseed and canola oil. rape seed oil has 54% erucic acid, mustard oil has 20%-40% according to which color mustard seed you use. The people of India, Pakistan and Asia use mustard oil externally and internally. That is well over a billion people.
Hot chili oils used in a lot of Asian cuisines to add flavor and heat.
Infused oils are oils used to preserve herbs and spices. It will flavor a recipe well. I have many recipes that are in my list of recipes.
Grape seed oil is made from grape seeds a by product from making wine. The oil is extracted from the seeds using a toxic solvent hexane.
Rapeseed oil/ Canola oil is a widely used oil in the word. Canola oil is a little more refined and has just a little less erucic acid then rapeseed oil, which causes damage to the cardiac muscle in animals and humans. These oils are used in industrial lubrication and bio diesel fuel. Canola oil is named from the Can from Canada and ola meaning oil thus Canola the other name for it is Rapeseed 00 oil. Canola is a GMO to try and lower the erucic acid levels.
Lard can be made from vegetables or animal fats. Used in baking and countless other ways.
Sesame seed oil is oil from sesame seeds. Used in Asian cuisines from soups to anything. It has a very strong flavor, a little goes a long way. If you use to much it will overpower ever flavor in your dish. I love it added to fried chicken. You can use as part of your marinade or add a wee bit to your frying oil.
Drippings I have used drippings from bacon a lot, its basically rendered fat. It can be from any animals fat. used to add flavoring even making gravy or sauces. I usually put mine in a sterilized jar seal it and as it cools the jar will can itself.
Clarified butter/ Ghee this is awesome it fries at a higher temperature then butter. If you love the butter flavor without the fat this is for you! see my recipe for ghee.
I sure hope this helps. I wish i had this infromation when I first started cooking. Remember balance is the key to life. Knowledge of what is in the foods we eat is important especially when we feed our little ones "healthy" foods oils is just a start. remember to read up on what we eat and enjoy life!
