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In a Camellia oleifera region in southern China, an elderly tea farmer stands in front of his tea plantation, his brow furrowed.
He looked at the verdant camellia trees all over the mountain, but he couldn't hide the worry in his heart.
"Our tea oil used to be the 'Oriental Oil King', and every household loved to use it.
But now few people buy it. "
He shook his head and sighed, "The most unacceptable thing is that we sell it so cheaply that we can't even recover the cost." "
What is it that makes this high-grade edible oil fall into such a predicament?
Behind the troubles of tea farmers, there may be a complex story of tradition and modernity.
The confusion of tea farmers has led us to think about the history of tea oil. Let's go back a few decades, when in southern China, almost every household could find a bottle of tea oil in their kitchen.
In the 70s and 80s of the last century, tea oil was a well-known good thing. The older generation often says that this is a "longevity oil"! They firmly believe that among all edible oils, tea oil is second to none in nutritional value and has great health benefits.
The story of camellia oil starts with the camellia tree. This plant is our "specialty" in China. Farmers pick the fruits of the Camellia oleifera tree, and after one process after another, they finally become treasures on the table.
Interestingly, camellia oil also has several names, such as camellia seed oil and camellia oil, all of which sound quite elegant.
When it comes to why tea oil is so popular, that's a long story. First of all, its oil yield is really not covered, as high as more than 25%! What's more, tea oil is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to the body.
Not only that, but it is also a "treasure trove" of vitamin A and many minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
Another point worth mentioning is that the "temper" of tea oil is very good, and the smoke point is as high as more than 200 degrees. What does this mean? To put it simply, it is not easy to use it for stir-frying, and it is not easy to produce those substances that are not good for the body.
Studies have shown that people who regularly consume camellia oil have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
It's no wonder that the older generation treats tea oil as a treasure, not only for cooking, but also as a "medicine". In their eyes, tea oil is simply a treasure given by nature, which can be eaten and cured, which is simply killing two birds with one stone.
When it comes to the benefits of tea oil, everyone may have heard of it. But do you know where this golden bottle of oil came from? Let's walk into the "birth story" of tea oil together.
The story starts with Camellia oleifera. This fruit grows quite specially, with fine hairs on the oval surface and soft to the touch. If you cut it open, you will find that there are usually four "treasures" hidden inside - camellia seeds.
These seeds are the "real body" of tea oil.
Although the camellia seeds are not large, they are only 2. About 5 centimeters, but it's amazing. They are full of treasures, and the oil content is frighteningly high, reaching 40% to 60%! In addition to oil, it is also rich in protein and fiber, so it can be said that it is full of nutritional value.
However, it is not easy to turn these small seeds into fragrant tea oil. First of all, the freshly picked fruit must be dried. This is followed by a series of complex processes: washing, drying, harvesting...... Finally, it is necessary to use a special low-temperature cold-pressing technology to squeeze the oil, so as to preserve the essence of tea oil.
The whole process is very exquisite, and it must not be sloppy at all.
Speaking of which, you may ask: since camellia oil is so good, why not more Camellia oleifera trees? That's not easy. Camellia oleifera is a "chronic seed", and it takes 4 to 5 years from planting to fruiting.
And with such an opportunity to pick all year round, the yield will naturally not go up.
You see, planting an acre of camellia trees, the cost of oil extraction alone is more than 500 yuan. Counting labor, equipment and so on, the total cost can reach 1,000 to 2,000 yuan.
And what about the yield of an acre of land? Take the 7-year-old tea tree as an example, it will produce 12 to 18 catties of oil a year.
So, the tea farmers are not having a good time. They put in so much effort, but the reward is not satisfactory. No wonder some people say that doing tea oil business is really a technical job, and you must know both agriculture and management.
After listening to the production process of tea oil, you may think that such a good thing should be very popular, right? But the reality is shocking. In recent years, the sales of tea oil have plummeted, making many tea farmers sad.
Tea oil on the market now sells for about 65 to 75 yuan per catty. But at this price, not many people buy it. Tea farmers are bitter, this price is almost uncontrollable.
So the question is, why can't tea oil be sold? There are many reasons for this.
First of all, there are many kinds of edible oils on the market. Sunflower oil, peanut oil, soybean oil...... Not to mention the wide variety, the price is also cheap. If you think that the money of one pound of tea oil can buy six or seven pounds or even more of other vegetable oils.
Many people naturally choose the cheap one as soon as they settle the account.
Secondly, there are many "Li Ghosts" in the market mixed with "Li Kui". Some dishonest merchants mix other cheap oils and sell them as pure tea oil. Now it is good for consumers to buy fakes, and their impression of tea oil is naturally poor.
Let's talk about the production method. At present, about 90% of the tea oil is still squeezed by traditional methods. Although the original flavor is retained, there will inevitably be some minor problems.
For example, there may be some impurities that have not been cleaned up, or are easy to deteriorate. These concerns have also deterred some consumers.
Finally, I have to talk about the taste of tea oil. It is not quite the same as other common cooking oils, a little bitter and a little astringent. This special taste is not acceptable to everyone.
If you look at the various reasons combined, it is no wonder that the sales of tea oil are becoming less and less optimistic. The tea farmers looked at the mountains of camellia trees, and their hearts were not delicious. The good things they have worked so hard to grow cannot be sold for a good price, and I am afraid that only they know this taste.
Faced with the dilemma of declining sales of tea oil, tea farmers are not willing to sit idly by. They have raised their voices in the hope of finding a way out for this traditional industry.
An old tea farmer said: "Our tea oil is obviously a good thing, but now it is sold too cheaply." According to the cost, we suggest that the selling price should be about 100 yuan a catty, so as to ensure that we have a reasonable profit.
This resonated with many people.
But will raising prices solve the problem? This is not an easy question. Some people are worried that if the price rises, consumers will be more reluctant to buy? After all, there are so many cheap cooking oils on the market now.
It has also been suggested that perhaps we should improve the way of production, preserving the essence of traditional craftsmanship while introducing modern equipment and technology. This will not only increase the yield, but also ensure the quality, and may attract more consumers.
Some young tea farmers suggested that more people should be educated about the benefits of tea oil. "Our tea oil is the 'king of the Orient,'" said a young tea farmer, "but many people don't know its benefits now."
We have to find a way to re-acquaint people with tea oil.
Listening to the words of the tea farmers, we can't help but sigh: the story of tea oil is not only the rise and fall of edible oil, but also reflects the survival dilemma of traditional agriculture in the modern market.
How to regain the favor of consumers with this product with a long history and unique value is indeed a question worth pondering.
Between tradition and modernity, between persistence and innovation, tea farmers are trying to find a balance. They look forward to the day when tea oil will become the darling of people's tables again.
And this requires the joint efforts of tea farmers, consumers, governments and other parties. After all, it is the responsibility of each of us to protect the traditional food culture and inherit the national food wisdom.
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