This gloriously healthy oil is made from the seeds of the camellia oleifera tree, an evergreen relative of camellia sinensis, the tea plant that gives us all our oolongs, tieguanyins, and assams. It’s respected across Asia for its nutritional properties, similar to olive oil in its lipid profile (93% unsaturated fats with a high level of Omega-3s), with a good dose of antioxidants, like tea polyphenols (catechins!) and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Its smoke point is 486° F (higher than coconut oil), which means you can deep fry in it without risking free radicals.
This oil has a fragrant, hazelnutty flavor. It works well in salad dressings, and its flavor blooms slightly when heated, with a stronger fragrance at warm temperatures. Use it when you wish you could saute, stir-fry and glaze with olive oil (but for its heavy flavor and lower smoke point) and you’ll be all set. Or just use it to dress noodles and feel like your convenient dinner is really healthy because you also put goji berries on top.
Ours is cold-pressed in the traditional way, with slow compression and no added heat to extract the purest, most flavorful and nutritionally complete product possible. We offer two varieties: One is the classic oil, cold-pressed from high quality tea seeds sourced from the market. The other is made from single-origin, high mountain tea seeds, sourced specifically from the mountains in Ren’ai, an indigenous mountain township in Nantou County, where the seeds are harvested by stretching nets below the trees to catch seeds as they split open and fall. These camellia seeds are highly prized and one of a kind. The oil is delightful, asparagus and buttery in its finish.
Tasting Notes and Usage
light, sweet and woody with notes of raw hazelnuts and asparagus
Its light delicate flavor and high smoke point makes it ideal for dishes where you may wish to let the other ingredients shine. Use for dressings, stir fries, baking, or basting meats. Can be used to clean and protect the blades of cutting instruments.
New to Tea Seed Oil? We recommend Tea Oil Noodles, a dish we encountered in Taiwan. Simply boil 2-3 servings of noodles and dress them in 1-2 tablespoons of camellia oil, 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and soy sauce to taste. Top with gently blanched vegetables, dried bean curd, or stir fried meats and tofu for a healthy and delicious dish.
Do not confuse this with Tea Tree oil, which is a completely different product and not consumable.
Ingredients and Instructions
8.5 fl. oz.
100% camellia seed oil
Gluten Free
Vegan
About DongHe Oil
Dong He Oil is a traditional producer of cold-pressed oils and stone-ground sesame pastes located in Chiayi, Taiwan. The oil mill was founded 100 years ago in 1921, as the original producer of cooking oil for the Dongshi township in Chiayi county. Operating in the original wood-beamed, brick building with much of the original machinery, Dong He upholds the same traditional craft principles that distinguishes their products from competitors. They continue to produce cold-pressed sesame, peanut and camellia seed oils today, and have added stone-ground sesame pastes, peanut butters, and a line of specialty sauces featuring house ingredients and family recipes.
