Crisco

Crisco is a well-known commercial brand of solid vegetable shortening, especially used in cooking and baking. It is a shortening made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, which offers a firm texture and an ideal melting point for frying, baking, and preparing flaky pastries.

This ingredient was created in the United States in the early 20th century, revolutionizing the way of cooking and baking thanks to its versatility and stability at high temperatures. It is especially popular in recipes for cakes, cookies, pie crusts, and fried foods, where it helps achieve a flaky or lighter texture.

Among its properties, it stands out as a source of saturated and trans fats (although some more modern versions now reduce or eliminate trans fats), so it is advisable to use it in moderation. Its ability to create a fluffier and crispier dough makes it a favorite in many traditional American recipes and in adapted international cuisine.

In the Latin American context, Crisco is commonly known as manteca vegetal (vegetable shortening), manteca de soya (soy shortening), or simply grasa vegetal (vegetable fat). These terms are used to refer to similar products used for culinary purposes, especially in the preparation of doughs and fried foods.