Improving the flavor of summer green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) using the yellowing process

Summer green tea (SGT) has poor flavor due to its high levels of bitterness and astringency. The present study aimed to improve the flavor of SGT using the yellowing process. The results showed that after the yellowing process, the sweetness and overall acceptability increased, and the content of gallated catechins and flavonol glycosides decreased by 30.2% and 27.4%, respectively, as did the bitterness and astringency of SGT. Yellowing caused a decrease in the concentration of some aroma compounds, such as (z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, pentanal, heptanal and 1-octanol, which caused grassy, floral and fruity aromas. In contrast, the concentrations of 1-octen3-ol, benzene acetaldehyde and beta-ionone increased, which have mushroom and sweet aromas. Meanwhile, the sweetness and umami of SGT were enhanced by the addition of selected aroma compounds (1-octen-3-ol, benzene acetaldehyde and beta-ionone), demonstrating that the yellowing process improves the flavor of SGT through odor-taste interactions.

Automated summary

The present study aimed to improve the poor flavor of Summer green tea (SGT) by yellowing process. The results showed that the yellowing process increased the sweetness and overall acceptability of SGT, and decreased the bitterness and astringency. The concentration of certain aroma compounds changed after yellowing, resulting in grassy, floral, fruity, mushroom, and sweet aromas. Addition of selected aroma compounds further enhanced the sweetness and umami of SGT, demonstrating the improvement of flavor through odor-taste interactions.