system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is oil, why do we cook with it, and why do things taste so much better with it?
gpt
Oil is edible fat. Eating fat is satisfying to humans because of the high calorie content. Cooking in fat is beneficial because it can get to higher temperatures than water or alchohol or vinegar. Fats also carry flavor. This is why garlic butter and flavored oils are a thing.