Mall Tea Oil

Mall Tea Oil

Mall Tea Oil is a product protected under geographical indication.

　　Mall Tea Oil is an edible oil made from processed oil tea seeds. The oil tea tree, also known as tea seed tree or camellia, is a unique woody oil-producing plant species in China. As an evergreen perennial, the oil tea tree can live for over a century and offers significant ecological benefits such as beautifying the environment, conserving soil and water, preventing forest fires, and regulating the climate. The oil content of oil tea seeds ranges from 28% to 36%.

　　　　The earliest written record of oil tea in Mall County dates back to the "Mall County Annals" from the 30th year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1551), approximately 450 years ago. The annals categorized tea among "fruits" such as plum, apricot, peach, pear, cherry, loquat, chestnut, jujube, persimmon, lotus root, pomegranate, walnut, and grape, suggesting that tea fruit was used to produce edible tea oil. Folk traditions in Mall County provide even more detailed accounts of the cultivation of oil tea and the processing and utilization of tea oil than historical records. Particularly in the mountainous southern regions of Mall County, generations of farmers have not only mastered the cultivation of oil tea and the processing of tea oil but also developed unique methods for using tea oil for consumption and medicinal purposes, as well as utilizing the byproduct of oil extraction — tea cake. For example, tea oil is used to treat burns, applied to the face and hair to prevent wrinkles and dryness; tea cake is used to make fertilizer, prepare pesticides, and by women to wash clothes and hair. Even today, with advancing technology, many rural farmers continue these traditional practices.

　　Newly Processed

　　　　Since 2000, modern tea oil processing companies, represented by Mall Changyuan Wild Tea Oil Co., Ltd., have begun mechanically refining tea oil, ushering in factory-based production. The refined tea oil produced by Changyuan Wild Tea Oil Co., Ltd. retains the efficacy of traditionally processed tea oil while significantly improving in color, aroma, taste, health benefits, and therapeutic properties. The Mall County Party Committee and County Government place great emphasis on the development and utilization of this ancient yet emerging product. In implementing an ecology-focused county strategy and building a brand-name initiative, they have included tea oil production and processing in key development plans. Currently, the total area of oil tea cultivation in Mall has expanded to 160,000 mu, yielding 16,000 tons of tea seeds annually, producing 3,200 tons of refined tea oil, and generating an output value of 128 million yuan. This has added a strong pillar industry to the overall plan of enriching the people and strengthening the county.　

　　Due to Mall County’s unique geography, soil, environment, and advanced processing techniques, Mall Tea Oil possesses unparalleled quality advantages. The origin of Mall Tea Oil, Mall County, is located in the heart of the Dabie Mountains at the junction of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces, and is part of a national ecological demonstration zone. Far from cities and industrial areas, the region features overlapping green mountains, steep ridges, crisscrossing ravines, sparse population, clear waters, and fresh air. Its wild oil tea trees, which have thrived for millennia, are nourished year-round by clouds and mist, rich in the essence of nature and the vitality of the universe. Mall Tea Oil is a vegetable oil made from the seeds of wild tea trees grown in Mall County. Represented by "Changyuan" Wild Tea Oil, Mall Tea Oil follows ancient traditions by selecting high-quality wild oil tea seeds and using modern advanced equipment and processes for refining. The resulting oil is clear and bright, with a light and elegant flavor. It preserves the traditional essence of Mall Tea Oil while meeting people's desire for natural products and an improved quality of life.

　　Quality Characteristics

　　　　Mall Tea Oil is of premium quality. Made from wild oil tea seeds and using a low-temperature pressing process without any solvent treatment or additives, it is free from aflatoxin and cholesterol, and is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. The oil is stable with minimal smoke emission. Compared to other vegetable oils such as soybean oil and peanut oil, as well as tea oils from other regions, Mall Tea Oil has a higher oleic acid content, reaching up to 92.4%.　

　　Mall Tea Oil has notable edible and medicinal benefits. According to tests conducted by the Hubei Province Grain and Oil Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Station, Mall Tea Oil is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, which have minimal impact on the metabolism of body tissues and play a significant role in maintaining health and preventing or inhibiting conditions such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Firstly, Mall Tea Oil beneficially affects multiple stages of atherosclerosis formation. Secondly, it helps reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein — substances harmful to human health. Thirdly, it can lower platelet aggregation rates and eliminate lipid peroxides in the body. Fourthly, the abundant LCP long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in Mall Tea Oil play an important role in the nutrition of fetuses and infants, particularly in the development of the central nervous system.　

　　Long-term consumption of Mall Tea Oil has revealed significant nutritional and health benefits. First, it can increase breast milk production, which is highly beneficial for the normal development of fetuses. Second, it aids in promoting qi flow, relieving constipation, reducing internal heat, aiding digestion, and supporting bone and overall physical development. Third, for middle-aged and elderly individuals, it can reduce internal heat, improve complexion, enhance vision, darken hair, inhibit aging, and prolong life. In today’s era of high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Mall Tea Oil rightly stands out as the preferred cooking oil for healthy dietary choices.　

　　The residue from Mall Tea Oil production is tea meal, which can be further processed to produce defatted tea meal. From this, saponin can be extracted. Saponin has certain hemolytic properties and is toxic to cold-blooded animals, making it useful as a pond-cleaning agent in aquaculture to aid shrimp and crab molting. It also helps control pests such as snails in farmland and nematodes in vegetable fields, and contributes to improving water quality and eliminating underground pests in lawns and green spaces. As a result, it is highly popular in countries and regions such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Defatted tea meal is non-polluting and non-toxic. After hydrolysis, the residual sludge still contains abundant crude protein and fiber, which can be fully utilized as feed for aquatic animals, making it an ideal ingredient for special aquaculture such as mussel, shrimp, and crab farming. Defatted tea meal also contains sugars, tannins, and rich crude protein, crude fiber, and starch, making it palatable to livestock and thus an important raw material for producing bio-protein feed.

　　Certified with National Geographical Indication Registration

　　　　In recent years, the Mall County Party Committee and County Government have placed high importance on the development of Mall Tea Oil, consistently regarding the tea oil industry as a vital component of their goals for building an ecology-focused county and recreating a “Mountainous Mall.” Following the basic work guideline of “building bases in the mountains, establishing factories at the foot of the mountains, expanding markets beyond the mountains, creating efficiency through science and technology, and revitalizing through reform,” they have strived to grow and strengthen the tea oil industry. In March 2002, CCTV’s "Fields" program aired a special feature titled “The Fragrance of Rapeseed Comes from the Deep Mountains,” using abundant visuals and data to introduce in detail the tea oil from Mall County, Henan Province. The unique health benefits of Mall Tea Oil quickly captured the hearts of millions of health-conscious viewers, drawing widespread attention and enabling Mall Tea Oil to step out of the mountains and gain fame in major cities. As living standards and quality of life continue to improve, people are paying increasing attention to their health. Consequently, Mall Tea Oil — a green food product integrating color, aroma, taste, and health benefits — will see greater market demand and broader prospects, becoming a leading brand that steps out of the mountains and gains national recognition.