Tea Oil?
Buried in one of those endless threads that I wouldn't have considered even looking at before the great new change to the software that collapes stuff, there turned out to be an interesting little item ... hey, I had it open, I might as well read the thing.
Well, it turned up a little gem, to me. Someone mentioned that they put tea oil on their rice.
Tea Oil? Never heard of the stuff.
Is this common in Asian markets? Will I readily find it in a say, Ranch 99 type place?
Othere than stir-frying, how do you use it? This link to Hormel says it can be used in all sorts of ways, even as salad dressing. (that Hormel glossary seems to define alot. Hormel. Who knew?).
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=36251
They say: "Pale amber-green in color, this oil has an herbal aroma with a somewhat sweet flavor. It is an oil that is high in Vitamin E and other antioxidants, contains no trans-fatty acids, is lower in saturated fat than olive oil"
So does it taste and smell that way? If using it for cooking does in impart flavor to the dish or is it neutral?
Are certain brands betther than others? Republic of Tea sells extra virgin tea oil. Is this a good tea oil? It's about $23 for 30 oz. Is that a good or bad price?
http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/detail.asp?navID=407
More on tea oil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_oil
rworange
Sep 24, 2006 04:24AM
Tea oil is a beautiful thing, but I've never been able to find it in LA or SF. If I ever do, the first thing I plan to do is pour some over piping hot steamed rice with a little soy sauce, then sit in front of the computer and type a post about it while eating it.
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It's been at every Sur La Table I've been to in L.A., over by the woks, purported to be for wok-frying. Not cheap there.
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It's a pretty common cooking oil in China, especially the Hunan-Yunnan area.
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So, you hang out all over the US and Canada Gary. Do you see it in North America?
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Can't say I've looked for it, RW. I doubt it could be found much cheaper that the ROT price, being seen as an "exotic" oil with limited demand in the U.S. The areas of China where it's extensively used are where it's locally plentiful.
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I picked up some at my local Whole Foods.
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So how do you use it?
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Good question!
I gave it away as a gift.
I will follow this thread and maybe get some for myself!
P
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Tea oil is great because it's high in monounsaturated fats. It also has a high smoking point, so you can use it for just about anything. I can't say it adds much flavor when used for sauteeing, but it's perfect when you want a neutral oil. It's also really good in salad dressings.
I still use olive oil most, but I also cook with tea oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil and safflower - all heart-healthy choices.
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Where do you buy it?
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The quickest way is probably to order it online, Republic of Tea carries it (and in fact thier brand is pretty much the only one I've ever seen)
http://www.republicoftea.com/ (put in "oil" in the seach engine)
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