Coconut oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the flesh of the coconut fruit (species: Cocos nucifera). Based on the extraction technique, coconut oil can be grouped into three types: Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), Non-RBD Coconut Oil, and RBD Coconut Oil (Refine, Bleach, Deodorize).
This type of coconut oil is produced by heating coconut milk for a long period of time so that the water content in the coconut milk evaporates and the coconut oil appears on the surface of the container. Furthermore, the coconut oil on the surface is collected little by little so that the remaining dregs are commonly called: blondo, galendo, characteristic oil, etc.
Due to this long heating process, the oil produced is brownish yellow in color but has a very strong coconut aroma, so it is often used to cook special menus typical of the region in Indonesia.
In some areas, non-RBD coconut oil is also known as klentik oil (Java), cooking oil (Minang), or lengis tandusan (Bali).
RBD stands for Refine (purification), Bleach (bleach), Deodorize (removal of odors). The RBD process is needed because this type of coconut oil is obtained from squeezing copra (dried coconut) which is usually charred and rancid with a high content of free fatty acids (Free Fatty Acid).
From squeezing copra at high temperatures, crude coconut oil is obtained which is further purified through the RBD process so that it can be used as cooking oil. As a result of this RBD process, RBD coconut oil looks clear and bright in color, but the coconut aroma is almost invisible.