Macheng Tea Oil

Macheng Tea Oil

Macheng Tea Oil is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Macheng Tea Oil, a product with a national geographical indication of China and a specialty of Macheng City in Hubei Province, is one of the "Ten Oddities of Macheng." It is primarily produced in Futianhe Town, located in the heart of the Dabie Mountains. In the 1960s, it was designated as the "Hometown of Tea Oil" by the State Council of China. This area is far from cities and industrial zones, surrounded by continuous mountain ranges, sparsely populated, with clear mountains and clean waters, and fresh air. The camellia trees here are nourished year-round by clouds and mist, requiring no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Their nutrients come entirely from the natural, unpolluted air and fertile soil, giving the oil both edible and medicinal value. In 2010, after evaluation by China's national quality inspection authorities, it was decided to implement national geographical indication product protection for Macheng Tea Oil.

　　Tea oil is a uniquely traditional edible plant oil in China, commonly extracted from the seeds of the oil tea fruit for consumption. The main components of tea oil are unsaturated fatty acids, primarily oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, with an appropriate ratio between linoleic and linolenic acids. The content of unsaturated fatty acids can be as high as around 95%. Wild Macheng tea oil is rich in nutrients and has benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing blood lipids, and darkening hair. It ranks at the top among plant oils and is hailed as the "holy grail of oils."

　　The protected geographical indication area for Macheng Tea Oil covers the entire current administrative region of Macheng City, Hubei Province.