Part 2: Prosperity and Innovation · From the Qing Dynasty to the Present Day, the Folk Custom Integration and Global Blossom of Camellia Oil
Inheriting the millennial heritage, camellia oil entered its heyday during the Qing Dynasty, forming a mature processing system and profound folk custom accumulation. Since modern times, on the basis of inheriting the wisdom of traditional ancient methods, camellia oil has achieved technological innovation. Today, it has further gone abroad, allowing the world to experience the unique charm of China’s traditional oilseeds and continue its millennial legend.
Prosperity in the Qing Dynasty: Finalization of the System and Integration of Folk Customs
The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD) was a period of mature finalization of the camellia oil hot-pressing system and also the heyday of camellia oil popularization. At this time, the cultivation of camellia oil had spread to all provinces in southern China, with Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang and other regions becoming major producing areas. Records such as “camellia oil is an important mountain product” can be found everywhere in local chronicles, which confirms the important position of camellia oil in the social economy at that time.
During this period, a complete system for camellia oil processing technology was formed: the heat control was institutionalized, clarifying the timing of using low heat and high heat, the water vapor standard for steaming seeds, and the requirements for seed maturity; the equipment system was stable, and tools such as wooden steamers, stone mills, and pressing beds were highly unified, becoming fixed symbols of rural life; the experience was inheritable—an apprentice needed three years to learn stir-frying, three years to learn steaming, and three years to learn pressing, taking a total of ten years to master the complete skills. This oral and hands-on inheritance method ensured the complete preservation of camellia oil processing technology.
Camellia oil was not only integrated into daily diet but also deeply penetrated into folk culture. In the regions of Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou, the Dong ethnic group has the custom of “when guests come to my home, we serve camellia oil tea instead of plain tea”; in Hunan and other places, when marrying a daughter, there is a saying of “first camellia (camellia oil tea), second sesame (sesame oil)”, indicating an abundance of food and drink; in some parts of Fujian, there is a custom of applying camellia oil to the bride’s hair, and the emcee will sing folk songs to pray for blessings and convey good wishes. Yuan Mei, a literatus in the Qing Dynasty, commented in Suiyuan Shidan · Vegetable List (Suiyuan’s Menu · Vegetable Section) that “stir-frying bamboo shoots with camellia oil is fresh and delicious”, elevating the culinary value of camellia oil to an aesthetic level. Wang Shixiong recorded in Suixi Ju Yinshi Pu (Dietary Records of Suixi Ju) that “camellia oil is suitable for daily cooking of all kinds of dishes; when steamed and eaten, it nourishes the hair and makes it shiny. Among all oils, it is the lightest and clearest, so it is suitable for people with various illnesses”, further highlighting the edible advantages of camellia oil.
Modern and Contemporary Innovation: Inheritance and Innovation, Going Global
Since modern times, with the development of industrial technology, the processing method of camellia oil has gradually shifted from traditional ancient methods to mechanized production, resulting in a significant increase in oil yield and more stable quality. However, the traditional ancient oil pressing technology has not been forgotten. Its concept of “processing in accordance with nature and overcoming hardness with softness” and the advantage of low-temperature pressing to retain nutrients have become important references for modern camellia oil processing. The ancient experience of “insufficient sun-drying makes the oil taste green; excessive sun-drying makes the oil taste burnt” and “under-steaming makes the oil astringent; over-steaming makes the oil taste burnt” coincides with the modern scientifically verified concept of “low-temperature preservation of unsaturated fatty acids”, demonstrating the wisdom of the ancients.
Since the 20th century, the nutritional value of camellia oil has been fully confirmed by modern science: its unsaturated fatty acid content is as high as more than 90%, containing a variety of nutrients such as protein, vitamin B2, and niacin. It also contains tea polyphenols and camellin, which are not found in olive oil, and has the effects of enhancing blood vessel elasticity, moistening the intestines, improving eyesight, and beautifying the skin. It is highly recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a health-care plant edible oil and has also become a pure natural woody edible oil advocated and promoted by the Chinese government. On October 15, 2020, camellia oil was included in the seventh list of representative items of intangible cultural heritage in Enshi Prefecture, ensuring the official protection and inheritance of this millennial craft.
Today, camellia oil has gone out of China and into the world. As a unique oilseed variety in China, it is not only a healthy edible oil but also a carrier of Chinese agricultural culture, folk culture, and natural wisdom. From the integration of folk customs in the Qing Dynasty to the innovative development in modern and contemporary times, camellia oil has maintained its millennial vitality, safeguarding the roots of traditional crafts while radiating new brilliance in the new era, and has become a bright business card for Chinese excellent traditional culture to go global.