Sacha Inchi Oil — The "Plant Salmon" Worth a Spot in Every Kitchen
Seeds from the Andes yield the plant oil highest in omega-3. Four reasons to put it on your table.
If we had to pick one cooking oil for a household table, it would be sacha inchi. Not as marketing — but grounded in nutritional analysis, two years of daily use, and the stories of Peruvian farmers who've cultivated this seed for thousands of years.
What is sacha inchi?
Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) is a climbing vine native to the Amazon basin, producing star-shaped pods with 4–7 seeds inside. The Inca called it "the mountain seed" and treated it as their primary protein before meat farming. Today, Peru leads global exports; Vietnam began pilot plantations in Lâm Đồng in 2015.
Four reasons
1. The highest omega-3 in any plant oil. 100g of sacha inchi oil carries around 48g alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) — 2–3× flax oil, many times more than olive oil.
2. Balanced omega-6 to omega-3. Common industrial oils (soybean, sunflower, corn) skew 20:1 toward omega-6, driving chronic inflammation. Sacha inchi inverts that ratio to near 1:1.
3. Moderate smoke point (190°C). Suitable for light sautéing, salad dressings, finishing drizzles. Not for deep frying.
4. Mild flavour. Unlike extra-virgin olive (peppery) or sesame (pungent), cold-pressed sacha is soft and slightly sweet — blending naturally with Asian cuisine.
How to use it
- Drizzle over phở or bún bò when serving — replaces scallion fat, preserves nutrition.
- Vietnamese salads (gỏi) — pair with fish sauce, lime, garlic at 1 tbsp oil : 2 tbsp dressing.
- Pan-seared fish or chicken breast — brush a thin layer before the pan gets too hot.
- Morning smoothies — 1 teaspoon adds omega-3 without taste interference.
Storage
Cold-pressed oils oxidize quickly. Keep in a dark bottle, away from heat, and finish within 6 months of opening. Never reuse sacha oil after heat exposure.
At Thuần Nhiên
Our sacha inchi comes from a cooperative in Lâm Đồng, cold-pressed on site and bottled in 250ml dark glass within 72 hours. Each batch ships with a QR code linking to harvest date, plot location, and lab results.
Choosing an oil isn't just choosing food. It's choosing who you support.