Taste is the most essential part of eating. However, with the great improvement of living standards and the rise of health awareness, consumers have more considerations of health when buying food materials, grains, oils, condiments and so on. Although China's edible oil consumption is still dominated by soybean oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil and peanut oil, the new generation represented by olive oil and other healthy edible oil is gradually entering the domestic market.
At present, 80% of the olive oil in China market comes from Spain, followed by Italy, which accounts for about 13%. These two countries together account for more than 90% of China's imported olive oil, but other olive oils produced in other countries and regions also have their own advantages, such as the olive oils from Turkey and Tunisia. Turkey is one of the important olive oil producers in the world. Its olive oil is produced in large quantities with good quality and low price, so it sells well all over the world. Ayvalik, the second largest olive fruit in Turkey, is extracted to produce the olive oil which contains up to 24% of oil content. It has the tempting aroma and unique flavor and is considered to be the most promising olive fruit in Turkey. While in Tunisia where about one-third of the country's land is for olive planting, olive oils are indispensable condiment for Tunisians’ cuisines. There are two main varieties of olive fruits in Tunisia--Chemlali and Chetoui. Chetoui is from northern Tunisia and is characterized by its distinct smell of fresh grass with a hint of artichoke, while Chemlali is rich in fruit flavor with a hint of almond. It is a good partner for most foods and cooking.
Moreover, other edible oils such as flaxseed oil, avocado oil and grape seed oil, which are all in the name of health, have also entered the Chinese market. According to the data, in the category of China's oil imports in 2018, flaxseed oil ranked No.7 with 42,000 tons of imports, which is ahead of olive oil. Flaxseed oil is rich in linolenic acid and unsaturated fatty acid omega-3. It is said to have many benefits for human body, like improving mood and sleep, promoting the function of fetal brain cells and optic nerves and so on. As a result, flaxseed oil is regarded as one of the best options for keeping good health. However, its taste is not that pleasing. Since it is easy to oxidize, flaxseed oil is not suitable for cooking. But it is suitable to make food stuffing, cold salad, or add to soy milk, yogurt and other drinks.
In addition, imported avocado oil shows up in Chinese market as a kind of high-end healthy edible oil especially for pregnant women, kids and infant. It mainly contains monounsaturated fatty acid, which is recognized as healthy fat. Besides, avocado oil has a higher smoke point and a better stability than ordinary vegetable oils, so it can be eaten directly or used for cooking and making salad. Grape seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is essential for human body and is easily absorbed by human body. It is said that long-term consumption of grape seed oil can reduce serum cholesterol and regulate the function of human autonomic nerves.
With the gradual opening of China's imported edible oil market, the varieties of healthy oils will become increasingly abundant, providing consumers with complete and diverse options.
