Flavor Improvement of Raw Black Tea from Southern Henan by Innovative Processing Techniques
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Abstract:
To further improve the quality of raw black tea from Southern Henan, the processes of sun-drying and shaking were introduced to the primary production of raw black tea from Southern Henan, and the main biochemical components in the tea in different processing stages were determined. The catechins in tea at different processing stages were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Concurrently, headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the aroma compounds in the tea, with results: The contents of tea polyphenols, ester catechins, and amino acids in the raw black tea prepared by the traditional technique are 12.22%, 33.72 μg/mL, and 19.77 mg/g, respectively, whereas those in the raw black tea prepared by the new technique are 9.87%, 20.58 μg/mL, and 20.73 mg/g, respectively. Results show that, after sun-drying and shaking, the contents of bitter tea polyphenols and ester catechins noticeably decrease while the contents of refreshing amino acids increase. The contents of floral and fruity compounds in the raw black tea processed using the new technique increase significantly, while compounds with unpleasant smells decrease considerably. A comprehensive analysis suggests that introducing the shaking technique can effectively reduce the bitterness of raw black tea, making the taste more refreshing and enhancing the aroma significantly.
