Yuping Camellia Seed Oil

Yuping Camellia Seed Oil

　　   Yuping Camellia Seed Oil is a specialty of Yuping County, Tongren City, Guizhou Province. The oil produced in Yuping is a premium edible oil known for its fragrant aroma, light color, low cholesterol content, and rich nutrition.

　　   Camellia is a unique oil-producing woody plant species in China. It is an evergreen broad-leaved small tree that typically grows to about three meters in height when mature, and can live for 400 to 500 years. It is mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin and southern regions of China. Products derived from camellia include tea oil, tea cake, tea husk, tea stalks, and tea roots. Tea oil is a pure, natural, green, organic, health-promoting edible oil with high nutritional value. It contains beneficial trace elements for the human body such as saturated acids, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, iron, zinc, and calcium. It can effectively improve cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, lower cholesterol and fasting blood sugar levels, and inhibit the rise of triglycerides.

　　   The production of camellia oil in Yuping has a history of over 600 years. In the 1960s, the industry experienced rapid growth. In 1958, the county set a historical record for camellia seed production, yielding up to 1.95 million kilograms. This produced 400,000 kilograms of tea oil for the nation, ranking second among the 1,100 camellia-producing counties in China. As a result, then-Premier of the State Council nominated Yuping and bestowed upon it the title of “Hometown of Camellia Oil.” In 2001, the State Forestry Administration once again awarded Yuping the title of “China’s Hometown of Camellia Oil.”

　　   Currently, the county produces 1,500 tons of camellia seeds and is home to 11 camellia oil processing enterprises, including Dalong Healthy Oils Co., Ltd. and Kanghui Healthy Vegetable Oil Factory. These facilities have an annual processing capacity of 1,000 tons, generate total sales of 12 million yuan, and contribute over 3 million yuan in tax revenue. Camellia oil has become one of the main sources of income growth for local farmers.