The freshly picked green leaves of the tea plant require processing in order to induce the formation of the characteristic odor and flavor of tea. Various aroma compounds develop during withering and fermentation stages of tea leaves.
The formation of tea aroma during the four main stages of manufacturing: beginning with fresh green leaf stage through the withering stage, fermenting stage after rolling, and finally in the made tea stage flowing firing.
Floral tea aroma compounds are known to be generated during the fermentation process in the tea manufacturing and is one of the most important factors to determine the quality of each tea type, especially oolong and black tea.
Research into characterizing tea aromas has been carried out for past 100 years, and more than 600 volatile compounds had been reported or isolated.
The most important of these are: limonene, phenylethyl alcohol, linalool, geraniol, trans-2-hexenal, phenylethyl acethyldehyde, alpha and beta-ionone, isovaleric acid, benzoic acid, o-cresol, dimethyl disulfide and n-ethylformyl pyrrole together with 18 esters and lactones.
Aroma of tea
