Tea Seed Oil

Tea seed oil, not to be confused with tea tree oil from Australia, has been used in Chinese kitchens for several hundred years.  The oil can come from the seeds of Camellia Sinensis as a byproduct of a tea garden, but is commonly derived from those of Camellia oleifera and Camellia tenuifolia.  C oleifera is the primary species cultivated in China while C tenuifolia is indigenous to Taiwan.

Camellia Sinensis seeds

The traditional method of  making the oil is as follows:

1. Pick and gather tea seeds.  Dry them in the sun.
2. Remove shells then pulverize the seeds.  
3. Briefly steam the pulverized seeds before cooling and compressing them into round cakes.
4. Load the cakes into an expeller to extract oil. 

Tea seed oil contains almost 85% of monounsaturated fatty acids and is praised as an optimal culinary oil.   Furthermore, tea seed oil has a higher smoking point of about 240°C.   It also has a longer shelf life.

Left to right: 1-Bitter tea oil, 2-Tea seed oil and 3-Tea oil Camellia

The three bottles of oil were imported from Taiwan or China.  Each has its unique flavor profile depending on the seed source and its processing method.

1. Bitter tea oil (Taiwan) was produced by the traditional method.  The color of the oil is golden yellow and its mouth feel is a slight bitter tea taste.   It is regarded as a tonic for new mothers.

2. Tea seed oil (Taiwan) was extracted from seeds that were roasted. The oil is orange amber in color and has a rich, molasses and roasted flavor.   It is lovely like sesame oil.

3. Tea oil Camellia (China) is almost translucent in color.  It is light and faintly buttery.   Although its neutral flavor is ideal for baking, deep frying and salad making, the oil might have been refined.