Comparison of Phenolic Compounds and Taste of Chinese Black Tea

Abstract

Theaflavins (TF), thearubigins (TR) and theabrownins (TB) are the major polyphenols that determine the quality of black tea. These compounds were measured in black teas and their correlation with taste values and taste quality was investigated. TF, TR and TB in the black teas from Chinese markets averaged 0.24%, 4.07% and 7.59%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that TF was positively and significantly correlated with astringency (r = 0.521, p < 0.05), aftertaste of astringency (r = 0.619, p < 0.01) and richness (r = 0.618, p < 0.01). TR was also positively correlated aftertaste of astringency (r = 0.530, p < 0.05), while TB was negatively correlated with bitterness (r = -0.486, p < 0.05). Taste score had a positive correlation with TF (r = 0.691, p < 0.01) and TR (r = 0.604, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, taste score correlated positively with astringency (r = 0.483, p < 0.05) and aftertaste of astringency (r = 0.518, p < 0.05). The result showed that black teas can be partially classified by cluster analysis using PCA components.