Celebration of Scholars
Aroma Chemistry of Tea
Name:
Patrick Zaker
Major: Biology
Hometown: Aurora
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Name:
Sean Hughes
Major: Biology
Hometown: Burbank
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Name:
Grace Massat
Major: Biology
Hometown: Crystal Lake
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Abstract
The complex volatile chemical composition of Camellia sinensis acquired during processing into categories such as white tea, green tea, oolong tea, and black tea contributes to their distinct aroma and flavor profiles. There is a gap in understanding about what compounds might be responsible for these flavors and aromas. This project aims to correlate the reported aromas of tea with their predominating volatiles’ associated scent. Solid phase microextraction was employed to acquire samples from the vapor of brewed tea. Volatiles were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multiple compounds have been found consistently across oolong teas that correlate with specific aromas. Future directions include developing an internal standard method using alpha pinene and expanding our analysis to white, green and black teas, thereby expanding the knowledge of tea aromatics.Submit date: March 23, 2019, 8:44 p.m.