The word Canola was invented in the early 1970’s to describe a new type of oilseed, selectively bred at the University of Manitoba in Canada out of the rapeseed varieties, Polish Canola (Brassica rapa), Argentine canola, (Brassica napus) and canola quality brown mustard (Brassica juncea). The name is a derivative of the words “Canada” and “Ola”, with the word “Ola” meaning oil.
Rapeseed, which is part of the mustard family and has been cultivated in India since 2000 BC, was initially used as cooking fuel because it produces a smokeless white flame. Demand, however, increased after the development of steam power, when rapeseed oil was discovered to cling to water and steam washed metal surfaces, making it an excellent lubricant.
Canada produced very little canola until World War II, when blockades of European and Asian sources forced it to expand production to accommodate the growing demand for lubricant for marine engines in naval and merchant ships because of the war.
Demand dwindled thereafter, resulting in plant breeders in Canada looking for a new application. The solution came in the form of canola, which is totally different from rapeseed and has a significantly lower euric acid and glucosinolate content, making it suited for human and animal consumption.
Although canola is a summer crop in temperate and cool parts of the world, it is primarily produced as a winter crop in South Africa. The We...