Red Palm Oil

With palm oil, there's both red palm oil (high in beta-carotenes and with a pretty strong flavor) and refined palm oil, which is clear and pretty flavorless.

It seems like the refined version is more common and most restaurants that cook with palm oil seem to use it. Does anyone know where I could find red palm oil or better yet, know of any restaurants that are using red palm oil for frying/cooking dishes?

Two large African grocery stores are Old World Market on the north side and La Fruteria on the south. Both have a good selection of nice orange palm oil. Almost any West African restaurant will have plenty of dishes containing plenty of palm oil. Recently there was a particularly fine discussion of some of these places.

Old World Market
5129 N Broadway
Chicago
773-989-4440

La Fruteria
8909 S Commercial Av
Chicago
773-768-4969

Pepe's or Brasil Legal on Western, El Mercado on Southport. This is a common, required ingredient for Brazilian cooking (due to the West African connection). All of these places should have it in addition to the African spots. I know the pan-South American Mercado does.

NB: it goes rancid fast, so check dates and don't buy a ton more than you will use immediately.