Youxian Oil Tea

Youxian Oil Tea

　　In the third batch of China's Famous and High-quality Economic Forest Counties announced at the end of 2004, Youxian County was honored with the title of "China's Hometown of Oil Tea."

　　Youxian County is rich in oil tea production and has long been known as the "Oil Depot of Eastern Hunan," with a long history of cultivation. According to local chronicles of Youxian, the cultivation of oil tea in the area dates back over 800 years. The main cultivated varieties are "Frost's Descent Seeds," along with small amounts of "Cold Dew Seeds" and "Pearl Seeds," among others. These are not only economic tree species but also suitable as ornamental plants for gardens. One variety, known as "Thin-shelled Fragrant" oil tea, was officially named "Youxian Oil Tea" by the National Forestry Department as early as 1965.

　　  Hunan’s specialty, oil tea, is a unique economic tree species in China and one of the most important edible oil-producing trees in the low hilly regions of southern China, with a cultivation history of over two thousand years. Youxian Oil Tea is a wild variety discovered in 1960 in Jiangnan Brigade, Shangyunqiao Commune (now Jiangnan Village, Shangyunqiao) and is mainly found in contiguous areas in Jiangnan Village and Yaotang Village of Shangyunqiao Town. It was initially referred to as "Thin-shelled Fragrant Camellia Oil." After identification by Professor Hu Xiansu from the Chinese Academy of Forestry, it was named "Youxian Oil Tea." In 1981, Professor Zhang Hongda from Sun Yat-sen University identified the species as Camellia grijsii, a second-class nationally protected plant. Its main characteristics include a compact plant structure, tolerance to poor soils, early maturation, resistance to camellia anthracnose, thin fruit skin, high seed yield rate, and high-quality oil. Each 100 kilograms of fresh fruit yields about 70 kilograms of seeds—about double that of ordinary oil tea. The dry seeds have an oil content of 45–55%, and the overall oil extraction rate is 28–36%, which is 8–10% higher than that of common oil tea. The downside is that the fruit ripening period can vary by up to 40 days. By 1985, the variety had been introduced to 18 provinces and cities, with small amounts also sent to countries such as Vietnam and Nepal for trial planting.

　　     Oil tea is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Theaceae family, with light yellowish-brown bark that is smooth and slightly fissured. It blooms large white flowers in autumn, also known as "White Flower Tea." Oil tea is highly adaptable, tolerant of poor soils and drought, making it a key species for improving red soil. Oil tea seeds can be pressed for oil, with the kernel containing up to 59.2% oil—the highest among oil-producing plants in China. Tea oil is a premium vegetable oil and can also be used as a raw material for soap, candles, and anti-rust coatings.

　　     Oil tea grows quickly, has a long lifespan, and produces high yields of high quality. It is widely distributed across provinces south of the Yangtze River in China. Hunan Province is known as the "Hometown of Oil Tea" and is the country's largest producer. In Changshan County, Zhejiang Province, there is a "King of Oil Tea" tree from the late Qing Dynasty, standing 5.5 meters tall, covering an area of 64 square meters, and producing up to 250 kilograms of tea seeds annually, yielding approximately 17 kilograms of tea oil.