I’m with Chem on this. Your seasoning surface will eventually be whatever oil you cook with, so the primary purpose of the initial base is to provide high adhesion. I season with Crisco, and then cook with olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil. Among others.
The only cast iron I use any more is Lodge’s combo fryer which is inverted for baking bread, and it’s just as smooth as my four carbon steel pans. But the rough surface of the cast iron sure held the initial seasoning better than any of my carbon steel pans.
