Flavor and aroma of black tea: Complex mixture of essential oil

Flavor is the most important factor for quality of tea. The tea aroma is one of the most important factors that define tea quality, and it has a great influence on its appreciation by consumers.

Extensive research on the volatile components from tea or fresh tea leaf was carried out by many authors and a large number of components (70-80) were identified.

Aroma of tea is complex mixture of volatiles consisting of alcohols, terpenes, sesquiterpenes, nitrogenous aromatic compounds and oxygenated hydrocarbons present in trace amounts.

The yield of crude essential oils: fresh leaf, 6.8 mg96 of fresh leaf, 30.9 mg% dry basis; black tea, 7.8 mg% of black tea, 8.2 mg96 dry basis.

Both of them had the characteristic odor each other and reminded of their original materials; the volatiles from fresh leaf were greenish, unripe and stimulant odor, however, those from black tea had a sweet aroma.

The essential oil extracted from tea has a very wide range of applications in the fields of food, cosmetics, flavors and fragrances, and the cigarette industry. The extraction of essential oil from abandoned tea can reduce the amount of wasted tea and can bring stupendous economic benefits to tea farmers and the essential oil industry.
Flavor and aroma of black tea: Complex mixture of essential oil

The Flavor of Tea

The Flavor of Tea
The principal components which determine the aroma, flavor and physiological action of tea are:

• An essential oil: about 0.5%, this is probably formed during fermentation.

• Caffeine: 1.8 to 5.9%

• Tannins: 13 to 18%

Some 140 components have been reported as contributing to the aroma and flavor of tea and research in this field is continuing.

The aim of making good tea is to obtain the maximum extraction of caffeine and the minimum amount of tannins. Most commercially available teas are blends, designed to satisfy the tastes of the customer. One would think that making a cup of coffee would be quite a simple matter. This is far from so; there are many schools of thought as to how this should be done. These range from the very elaborate and formalized ritualistic proceedings of the Japanese tea cult, to homely brew which is being increasingly appreciated around the world.
The Flavor of Tea