The feasibility of using native lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) to esterify fatty acids with water-insoluble alcohols in the presence of excess water was investigated in stirred-tank reactors. For high reaction rates, a ratio of water:substrates of 0.6-1.4:1 (v/v) was required. CAL-A showed higher substrate selectivity for the esterification of saturated palmitic acid with branched-chain 2-ethyl-1-hexanol than for unsaturated oleic acid with linear alcohol (1-decanol). After 18 h at 70 A degrees C in a 1.5 l bulk stirred-tank reactor, an 2-ethyl-1-hexyl palmitic acid ester was obtained near 100 % yield [molar ratio palmitic acid:2-ethyl-1-hexanol similar to 1:1.25, with 1.11 % (w/w) Novocor ADL (based on palmitic acid weight)].