Heat and browning
Smoke point
JA: 発煙点(はつえんてん)
The temperature at which an oil begins to break down and visibly smoke.
What it means in a kitchen
Different oils have different smoke points — refined neutral oils around 220–230°C, extra-virgin olive oil noticeably lower. Past that point, the oil tastes bitter and produces compounds you'd rather avoid in food. It's a soft guideline, not a hard cutoff.
Common misunderstanding
Smoke point isn't the only thing that matters — flavor profile and stability under sustained heat often matter more than the headline number.