Ingredient Stories - Tamanu Seed Oil

Makers Ingredients Tamanu Oil range is produced by a fantastic co-operative in Vietnam. The native Tamanu Tree is found throughout Vietnam, in particular in the Mekong Delta region. The tree grows particularly well in damp areas, in particular marches and river banks.

The co-operative Makers Ingredients works with is proactively producing jobs within the Mekong Delta region. 300 different Vietnamese households are involved in the harvesting of the Tamanu fruits. The project empowers both men and women in the region during the off season, generating income for these households.

The community also works in close conjunction with the ASFN (Asean Social Forestry Network) which empowers the local communities to not only protect their local eco-system but also make the best of their locality to a wealth of raw materials that are in high demand to the rest of the world. Tamanu is a perfect example of this.

Wild harvest occurs twice during the year. The flowers on the Tamanu tree produce a delicate fruit which hold within them the precious Tamanu nut. The nut itself must be left to fall from the tree naturally and not be physically picked. This is true wild harvesting. The harvesters will then gather these fallen nuts for a number of weeks.

The pale coloured nuts are then laid on an outdoor rack where they are left to cure / sun-dry under the heat of the sun for 1-2 months. It is at this point the nuts turn to a brownish-red colour which once pressed release a strong, rich, dark oil. The nuts are cold pressed, using only pressure and the oil is filtered accordingly.

It takes a substantial number of nuts to create this oil. In fact, approximately 4 trees worth of Tamanu are wild harvest to produce 20kg of oil. Once pressed & filtered you are left with as beautiful light viscous yet black oil. Truly an exceptional origin story, aiding communities, creating opportunity and not forgetting an exceptional functional oil for your next formulation.

We offer both conventional and organic certified grades.