Wood Pressed Mustard Oil vs Kachi Ghani vs Refined - What's the Real Difference?
- Saptarshi Ghosh
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
🟡 QUICK ANSWER — Read this first Wood pressed mustard oil, kachi ghani oil, and refined mustard oil are three different products made by three different methods — not interchangeable labels for the same thing. Refined oil is chemically extracted at 150–200°C, then deodorized at 240°C — stripping aroma, nutrients, and natural compounds. Kachi ghani means "cold press" — but this includes both mechanical metal presses and traditional wooden mills. Wood pressed (Kohlu/Kolhu) specifically uses a wooden mill rotating below 28°C, generating virtually zero heat — preserving every enzyme, fatty acid, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) molecule, and antioxidant intact. Ritvaam's Wood Pressed Black Mustard Oil is Kohlu-pressed below 28°C from Bengal black mustard seeds grown by our own farmers. ₹395 for 1 litre.
Walk into any supermarket in India and you will find three kinds of mustard oil on the shelf — sometimes four. "Kachi ghani," "wood pressed mustard oil," "cold pressed," and plain "pure mustard oil." They are priced differently. They smell different. And most buyers, including health-conscious ones, have no clear idea what separates them.
This article explains exactly what each term means, how each oil is made, what the process does to the oil's nutritional profile, and which one belongs in your kitchen.
Kohlu-pressed below 28°C · Bengal black mustard · Lab tested FSSAI registered · Free shipping above ₹599
What does "kachi ghani" actually mean — and what it doesn't
Kachi ghani is a Hindi phrase. Kachi means raw or uncooked. Ghani means press or mill. Literally: "raw press" — a press that does not apply heat to the seed before pressing.
This sounds simple. But the term is widely misunderstood — and sometimes deliberately misused in marketing.
Kachi ghani is a process category, not a machine type. It includes:
Mechanical screw expeller presses (metal machines operating at controlled temperature)
Wooden rotary mills (the traditional Kolhu or Kohlu)
Some hydraulic cold-press systems
The critical detail most brands don't tell you: a mechanical expeller press can still generate heat through friction, even when the seeds are fed unheated. Depending on the machine's speed, throughput, and cooling systems, expeller-pressed oil can reach 40–60°C during extraction. This is still called "kachi ghani" — because the seeds were not pre-heated, even though the pressing itself generated heat.
The FSSAI standard for "cold pressed" in India requires oil to be extracted below 60°C. That is a very wide thermal range — and it permits significant nutrient loss compared to genuine wooden-mill extraction.
What "wood pressed" (Kohlu/Kolhu) actually means
The Kohlu or Kolhu is a traditional wooden rotary press — a large wooden shaft turned by a bullock (or now a motor), grinding mustard seeds slowly against a wooden chamber. The wooden surfaces absorb friction heat. The slow rotation speed — typically 15–20 RPM — generates almost no heat compared to metal expeller presses.
Ritvaam's Kohlu extraction temperature: below 28°C.
This is not "cold pressed" in the FSSAI sense of below 60°C. This is genuinely cold — below room temperature in a mechanically significant way. At below 28°C extraction:
Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) — the compound responsible for mustard oil's characteristic pungency and antimicrobial properties — is fully preserved
Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) are not degraded by heat-induced oxidation
Natural antioxidants (tocopherols, glucosinolates) remain intact
MUFA content (oleic + erucic acids, approximately 60–70% of fatty acid profile) is unaffected
The result: an oil that looks, smells, and performs nutritionally like mustard oil has always performed in traditional Indian kitchens — before mechanisation changed everything.
What happens to refined mustard oil
Refined mustard oil starts as expeller-pressed oil (often from lower-quality or mixed seed batches). It then goes through:
Solvent extraction (hexane) — residual oil is extracted using petroleum-derived hexane at 150–200°C
Degumming — removes phospholipids and gums using phosphoric acid
Neutralisation — removes free fatty acids using caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)
Bleaching — removes colour using activated clay or charcoal
Deodorisation — removes odour using steam stripping at 240–260°C under vacuum
What remains after this process is chemically stable, shelf-stable, odour-neutral, and visually consistent. What is removed: the pungent AITC compounds, natural antioxidants, most phospholipids, and a significant portion of heat-sensitive vitamins.
Refined mustard oil has a uniform yellow colour and no smell specifically because everything that gives mustard oil its value has been industrially stripped away.
The comparison- all three, side by side: Wood Pressed Mustard Oil vs Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil vs Refined Mustard Oil
Ritvaam Wood Pressed (Kohlu) | Kachi Ghani (Expeller) | Refined Mustard Oil | |
Extraction method | Wooden Kohlu rotary mill | Mechanical screw expeller | Chemical solvent + multi-step refining |
Extraction temperature | Below 28°C | 40–60°C (friction heat) | 150–260°C across stages |
Seed source | Bengal black mustard — Ritvaam's own farmers | Mixed sources, typically yellow or brown mustard | Mixed, often lower quality |
Mustard variety | Brassica nigra (black mustard) | Usually Brassica juncea (yellow/brown) | Mixed |
Colour | Deep golden-amber | Golden | Pale yellow |
Smell | Strongly pungent — distinctive mustard aroma | Moderate pungency | Neutral to mild — deodorised |
AITC (pungency compound) | Fully preserved | Partially preserved | Removed |
Omega-3 (ALA) content | ~6% of fatty acids, intact | ~5–6%, some degradation | ~5%, further degraded |
MUFA content | ~60–70%, fully preserved | ~60–70%, mostly preserved | ~60–70%, preserved but stripped of cofactors |
Antioxidants | Fully intact | Mostly intact | Mostly removed |
Lab tested | Yes — Argemone and mould free | Varies by brand | FSSAI standard compliance |
Shelf life | 6–12 months | 9–12 months | 18–24 months |
Smoke point | ~250°C | ~240–250°C | ~240–250°C |
Price (1L approx.) | ₹395 | ₹200–₹350 | ₹150–₹200 |
Ritvaam sells this? | ✅ Yes - ₹395/litre | ❌ | ❌ |
Why black mustard (Brassica nigra) makes a difference
Most mustard oil in India: kachi ghani included - is pressed from Brassica juncea (brown/yellow mustard) or blends. Ritvaam uses Brassica nigra - black mustard - which Bengal has cultivated for centuries.
The differences are meaningful:
Higher AITC content: Brassica nigra contains more glucosinolates that convert to AITC on pressing — giving stronger pungency and more potent antimicrobial activity than Brassica juncea
More intense aroma: The distinctive "Bengali mustard oil smell" that diaspora Bengalis specifically look for comes from black mustard, not yellow or brown
Lower erucic acid within FSSAI limits: Black mustard's erucic acid content, while present, is within FSSAI's permitted levels (below 50% of total fatty acids) and consistent with its traditional use in Indian cooking for thousands of years
Every seed in Ritvaam's mustard oil is grown on Bengal farms by farmers we work with directly. We know the field, the harvest date, and the seed variety. There are no commodity batches, no mixed-origin blending.
The smoke point question - does it matter which you choose for cooking?
All three oils have similar smoke points in the 240–250°C range. This is frequently used by refined oil brands to argue that their product performs equally for cooking.
The smoke point comparison misses the point entirely.
What you cook with is not just about smoke point — it is about what compounds remain in the oil when you cook with it. When you heat Ritvaam's Kohlu-pressed oil to 200°C for a tadka, the AITC compounds and antioxidants that survived the extraction process are now available to your food. When you heat refined oil to the same temperature, those compounds were already removed at the refinery.
The flavour difference is immediate and unmistakeable. Bengali cooks have known this for centuries. Science now confirms it.
How to use Ritvaam Wood Pressed Black Mustard Oil
High-heat cooking: Tadka, tempering, deep frying, sautéing fish and vegetables. The ~250°C smoke point handles all standard Indian cooking temperatures. Heat until the oil just begins to shimmer — the raw pungency mellows to a rich, aromatic base.
Mustard marination: Mustard-marinated fish (Sorse Bata Maach), chicken, or vegetables. Use raw — do not pre-heat for marination. The raw AITC compounds act as natural preservatives and penetrate protein fibre more effectively than heat-treated oil.
Pickling: The antimicrobial properties of AITC make wood-pressed mustard oil the traditional choice for achar and pickles. Refined oil does not provide the same natural preservation.
Cold use - salad dressings, dips: Drizzle raw over steamed vegetables, use in vinaigrette. The pungency softens beautifully with acidic ingredients (lemon, vinegar).
Hair and scalp: Warm the oil slightly (to body temperature, not higher) and apply to scalp. The MUFA content conditions hair. The AITC compounds have demonstrated antifungal properties relevant to dandruff.
Kohlu-pressed below 28°C · Bengal black mustard · Lab tested FSSAI registered · Free shipping above ₹599
How to identify genuine wood pressed mustard oil — 4 signs to check
If you receive mustard oil that claims to be wood-pressed but:
Smells faintly or not at all
Is uniformly pale yellow
Has been liquid with no cloudiness for 12+ months at room temperature
Tastes the same as the ₹160/litre supermarket brand
It has either been refined, diluted, or the "wood pressed" claim is marketing language applied to expeller-pressed oil.
Genuine Kohlu-pressed black mustard oil:
Has a strong, sharp pungency on opening the bottle
Is deep golden-amber — darker than refined oil
May develop slight natural sediment at the bottom (natural phospholipids — shake before use)
Has a distinctly different flavour when used raw vs when heated — raw is sharp, heated is warm and rounded
Ritvaam's oil is lab-tested for Argemone contamination (a common adulteration in Indian mustard oil that FSSAI monitors specifically) and mould. Test reports are available on request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the real difference between wood pressed and kachi ghani mustard oil? Kachi ghani means any cold-press process where seeds are not pre-heated — it includes both metal expeller presses (which generate friction heat up to 60°C) and traditional wooden Kohlu mills. Wood pressed specifically refers to the wooden rotary Kohlu mill, which operates below 28–40°C depending on the producer. The lower the extraction temperature, the more AITC, omega-3s, and antioxidants remain intact. Ritvaam's Kohlu extraction stays below 28°C — significantly cooler than most kachi ghani expeller presses.
Q: Is refined mustard oil safe to eat? Why do people still use it? Refined mustard oil is FSSAI-approved and widely consumed safely across India. Its advantages are a neutral smell, consistent colour, longer shelf life (18–24 months vs 6–12 months for unrefined), and lower price. The trade-off is that the refining process at 150–260°C removes AITC (the antimicrobial pungency compound), natural antioxidants, and phospholipids — compounds that traditional Indian medicine and recent research associate with health benefits. Refined oil is safe; it is simply nutritionally different from unrefined wood-pressed oil.
Q: What is Argemone contamination in mustard oil — and is Ritvaam's oil tested for it? Argemone mexicana is a weed whose seeds resemble mustard seeds and are sometimes mixed into mustard batches accidentally or fraudulently. Argemone oil contains toxic alkaloids (sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine) that cause epidemic dropsy — a serious condition that has caused deaths in India. FSSAI mandates testing for Argemone in mustard oil. Ritvaam's Wood Pressed Black Mustard Oil is lab-tested for Argemone contamination before each batch is released. Test results confirm zero Argemone presence.
Q: Can I use Ritvaam wood pressed black mustard oil for deep frying? Yes. Ritvaam Wood Pressed Black Mustard Oil has a smoke point of approximately 250°C — suitable for all standard Indian deep frying temperatures (160–180°C for most recipes). Heat the oil to the point where it just begins to shimmer before adding ingredients. The raw pungency of the oil mellows and becomes aromatic when heated, providing the characteristic depth that Bengali fish fry, luchis, and vegetable preparations are known for. Do not repeatedly reheat the same oil beyond 3–4 uses, as oxidation products accumulate with repeated high-heat cycles in any cooking oil.
Published: 6 June 2026 | Author: Saptarshi Ghosh, Founder, Ritvaam Farms | Restoring Bengal's heritage Food Culture Since 2024 | FSSAI Registered.
Comments