Jasmine tea is reprocessed from finished tea by absorbing the floral aroma of jasmine (Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton); this process is commonly known as "scenting". Making high-quality jasmine tea with a refreshing aroma requires repeated scenting. To date, the detailed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the formation of a refreshing aroma as the number of scenting processes increases are largely unknown and therefore need further study. To this end, integrated sensory evaluation, widely targeted volatilomics analysis, multivariate statistical analyses, and odor activity value (OAV) analysis were performed. The results showed that the aroma freshness, concentration, purity, and persistence of jasmine tea gradually intensifies as the number of scenting processes increases, and the last round of scenting process without drying plays a significant role in improving the refreshing aroma. A total of 887 VOCs was detected in jasmine tea samples, and their types and contents increased with the number of scenting processes. In addition, eight VOCs, including ethyl (methylthio)acetate, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol acetate, (E)-2-hexenal, 2-nonenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (6Z)-nonen-1-ol, β-ionone, and benzyl acetate, were identified as key odorants responsible for the refreshing aroma of jasmine tea. This detailed information can expand our understanding of the formation of a refreshing aroma of jasmine tea.
Keywords: jasmine tea; refreshing aroma; scenting process; widely targeted volatilomics.