Tea Seed Oil (Camellia Oil)

Tea Seed Oil (Camellia Oil): Nutrition and Culinary Guide

Tea seed oil — also known as camellia oil or tsubaki oil in Japanese — is pressed from the seeds of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis, the same plant that produces tea leaves) or the related ornamental camellia species (C. oleifera). It is sometimes called the "Asian olive oil" because of its remarkably similar fatty acid composition to extra virgin olive oil — very high in oleic acid (approximately 78–80%), low in saturated fat, and with meaningful polyphenol content. Tea seed oil has been used in cooking across southern China for centuries and is particularly associated with Cantonese and Hunan cooking, where it is valued for its clean, neutral flavour, high smoke point (approximately 220–250°C), and health properties. In Japan, tsubaki oil has been used for centuries as a hair and skin treatment as well as a cooking and preserving oil.

Nutritional Value and Uses

Tea seed oil provides 884 kcal and 100 g of fat per 100 g, with 21.1 g of saturated fat — though much of this is the neutral stearic acid. The very high oleic acid content (approximately 78%) gives it excellent heat stability similar to extra virgin olive oil and makes it one of the most nutritionally favourable high-smoke-point cooking oils available. Use for stir-frying, sautéing, and high-heat cooking where a neutral, clean oil is desired. Also excellent in cold applications — dressings and finishing preparations where a very light, clean oil is wanted. Available from Chinese supermarkets and specialty food shops.