Abstract:
The flavor wheel of Pu-erh raw tea was delineated for the first time. A panel of experts evaluated 43 Pu-erh raw teas of different ages, origins, varieties, and production methods, and provided basic descriptors of Pu-erh raw tea flavor sensory. Following the screening and sorting of the descriptors, they were categorized with reference to the flavor wheel of Chinese tea and the flavor wheels of yellow and green teas. This process enabled the creation of the Pu-erh flavor wheel of Pu-erh raw tea. Subsequently, the M-value and multivariate statistical analysis were employed to filter the descriptors, yielding 15 aroma descriptors, 10 soup color descriptors, and 17 taste descriptors. These descriptors were determined to be significant and to exhibit typical differences and were subsequently applied. The final screened flavor profile descriptors of Pu-erh raw tea can intuitively evaluate the flavor characteristics of Pu-erh raw tea and show the flavor differences of different categories of Pu-erh raw tea. Consequently, these flavor profile descriptors can discriminate and evaluate Pu-erh raw tea, thereby substantiating the scientific validity of the constructed flavor profile of Pu-erh raw tea. Moreover, they can serve as a reference for evaluating the quality of different categories of Pu-erh raw tea and facilitate consumer understanding of Pu-erh raw tea quality and sensory attribute characteristics.