Envoy at 05:18, 1 August 2007

2007-08-01T05:18:28Z

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'''Tea seed oil''' (also known as '''tea oil''' or '''camellia oil''') is an edible, pale amber-green [[fixed oil]] with a sweet, herbal [[aroma]]. It is cold-pressed mainly from the [[seed]]s of ''[[Camellia oleifera]]'' but also from ''[[Camellia sinensis]]'' or ''[[Camellia japonica]]''.

With its high [[smoke point]] (485° F.), tea seed oil is the main [[cooking oil]] in the southern provinces of [[People's Republic of China|China]]—roughly one-seventh of the country's population.
In Japan tea seed oil is derived from ''Camellia japonica'', mainly from [[Goto Islands]] of [[Nagasaki Prefecture]] and [[Izu Islands]] of [[Tokyo Prefecture]].

Tea seed oil resembles [[olive oil]] and [[grape seed oil]] in its excellent storage qualities and low content of [[saturated fat]]. [[Monounsaturated]] [[oleic acid]] may comprise up to 88% of the [[fatty acid]]s. It is high in [[vitamin E]] and other [[antioxidant]]s and low in [[trans fat]].

In addition to its use in [[salad#salad dressings|salad dressings]], [[food dip|dip]]s, [[marination|marinades]] and [[sauce]]s, for [[sautéing]], [[stir frying]] and [[frying]] and in [[margarine]] production, tea seed oil is used to manufacture [[soap]], hair oil, [[lubricant]]s, [[paint]] and a rustproofing oil as well as in [[chemical synthesis|synthesis]] of other high [[molecular mass|molecular weight]] [[chemical compound|compound]]s. Japanese tea seed oil is used for setting the hair of [[Sumo]] wrestlers and for [[tempura]].

Tea seed oil should not be confused with [[tea tree oil (melaleuca oil)]], an essential oil extracted from the leaves of the [[paperbark]] ''[[Melaleuca alternifolia]]'' and used for [[medicine|medicinal]] purposes.

==External links==
* {{cite book
| author = Ruter, John M.
| year = 2002
| chapter = Nursery production of tea oil camellia under different light
| chapterurl = http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-222.html
| editor = J.Janick and A.Whipkey (eds.)
| title = Trends in new crops and new uses
| pages = pp. 222-224
| location= Alexandria, VA | publisher=[[American Society for Horticultural Science]] Press
| id = {{OCLC|51677926}} }}
*[http://www.emerald-harvest.com/tea-seed-oil/why-tea-seed-oil.htm Benefits of Tea Seed Oil]
[[Category:Tea]]
[[Category:Cooking oils]]
[[Category:Vegetable oils]]

Tea seed oil - Revision history

Envoy at 05:18, 1 August 2007