Oil, teaseed

Tea seed oil, pressed from the seeds of the tea plant (a relative of, but distinct from, olive oil in origin), is a light, mild-flavored cooking oil prized in East Asian kitchens for its high smoke point, which makes it well suited to stir-frying, deep-frying and searing without breaking down or scorching. Its neutral, faintly nutty flavor also lets it double as a finishing oil for salads or noodle dishes where a more assertive oil like sesame would overpower other ingredients. It behaves much like other refined vegetable oils in the pan, pouring easily and browning food evenly.

Store it in a cool, dark cupboard away from direct heat to slow oxidation, and reseal the bottle tightly after each use, as with any pressed oil. As a pure fat, tea seed oil is 100 percent fat and 884 calories per 100 g with no protein, fiber, sugar, carbohydrate or sodium, so it functions strictly as a cooking medium or flavor carrier rather than a source of any other nutrient. A tablespoon (14 g) is the practical unit to measure by when adding it to a dish or dressing.