This study aimed to optimize the Maillard reaction (MR) conditions for instant green tea (GT), black tea (BT), and oolong tea (OT) and to characterize the aroma profiles of the resulting MR products (MRPs). Supercritical CO₂ pretreatment reduced tea polyphenols and caffeine in instant teas. Key parameters (time, pH, temperature, exogenous substrate ratio) were optimized for each instant tea. The MRPs developed desirable sweet, roasted, and caramel-like aroma attributes. Volatile analysis revealed that the MR increased the levels of ketones, aldehydes, and esters, while decreasing hydrocarbons in the MRPs. Based on odor activity value and chemometric analysis, key aroma-active compounds such as indole, β-damascone, β-ionone, and dihydroactinidiolide were identified as crucial odorants responsible for the characteristic aroma of the MRPs. This work provides a practical strategy for producing potential aroma-modifying materials with sweet and roasted flavor, and offers insights into the broader utilization of instant tea by-products.

The distinctive seaweed-like aroma is a typical flavor characteristic of high-grade Shandong matcha. To obtain a sample of strong seaweed aroma extracted from matcha, high-grade Shandong matcha made from fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis cv. Zhongcha 108 was steeped at 70 °C with a 1:6 tea to water ratio. A total of 11 volatile components that contribute significantly to the aroma of Shandong matcha were identified using headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry combined with olfaction (GC-O-MS). These volatile components include dimethyl sulfide (DMS), α-Ionone, hexanal, benzaldehyde, (E)-β-ionone, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, (Z)-2-penten-1-ol, 1-penten-3-ol, β-cyclocitral, 3-methyl butanal, Nonanal. Further aroma recombination and omission experiments reveal that DMS (P < 0.001), α-ionone (P < 0.001), hexanal (0.001 < P < 0.01), benzaldehyde (0.001 < P < 0.01), and (E)-β-ionone (0.01 < P < 0.05) are key contributors to the seaweed fragrance, with DMS and α-Ionone being the main aroma components. This study identified the key aroma compounds of seaweed-like in Shandong matcha, explored the synergistic and antagonistic effects between these aroma components, and provided a theoretical basis for the quality control and scientific brewing of Shandong matcha.

Benzoates, particularly salicylic acid (SA) and its derivatives, play critical roles in plant immune responses and basal defense through hydroxylation and glycosylation. Anthracnose is one of the most common and devastating diseases in tea plants (Camellia sinensis). However, the role of SA and its derivatives in tea plant immunity and resistance to anthracnose remains largely unexplored. In the present study, we identified and characterized a glycosyltransferase, CsUGT74B5, which was significantly downregulated in tea seedlings upon anthracnose infection. CsUGT74B5 was preferentially expressed in mature leaves and stem, and responded rapidly to exogenous SA treatment. Phylogenetic analysis suggested CsUGT74B5 might possess the catalytic activity toward benzoates. Enzymatic assays and molecular docking demonstrated recombinant CsUGT74B5 specifically glycosylated at the ortho hydroxyl groups of SA and 2, 6-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2, 6-DHBA), but did not glycosylate 2, 3-DHBA, 2, 5-DHBA, or other substrates in vitro. Overexpression of CsUGT74B5 in Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) reduced SA level while promoting the accumulation of SA 2-O-β-D-glucoside (SAG), further validating the in vivo function of CsUGT74B5. Moreover, transient overexpression of CsUGT74B5 in two tea plant cultivars increased their sensitivity to anthracnose and accelerated lesion development, which was attributed to decreased SA levels. Overall, our finding demonstrated that CsUGT74B5-mediated biosynthesis of SAG regulated tea plant immunity against anthracnose by fine-tuning free SA levels, providing new progress into the immunity response of tea plants.

To protect tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) from freezing injury, plastic greenhouse covering is widely used in northern tea areas of China. Currently, there was few researches about the effect of greenhouse covering on tea quality. Our results showed greenhouse covering increased tea yield, changed leaf phenotype and decreased green tea quality. Further analysis revealed greenhouse increased the content of soluble sugars and decreased the content of EGCG and 14 amino acids. Besides, there were 223 differential volatile components were identified in green tea produced by fresh leaves with plastic greenhouse covering (GT) and green tea produced by fresh leaves without plastic greenhouse covering (TT). 81 key aroma components were contributors to the bean-like aroma of TT. 98 key aroma components contributed to the clean aroma of GT. Based on these results, the flavor wheels were constructed, providing a visual presentation of flavor between TT and GT.

Plants would encounter various biotic and abiotic stresses during the growth and development. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) as plant-specific TFs, play an important role in responding to various adverse circumstances. Despite some advances were achieved in functional studies of WRKY TFs in tea plants, systematic analysis of the involvement of CsWRKY TFs when facing cold, salt, drought stresses and pathogen and insect attack was lacked. In present study, a total of 78 CsWRKY TFs were identified following the genomic and transcript databases. The expression patterns of CsWRKYs in various organs of tea plants and the expression profiles in response to biotic and abiotic stresses were investigated by examining representative RNA-seq data. Moreover, the effects of hormone treatments (SA and MeJA) on the transcription levels of WRKY TFs were also investigated. The phylogenetic tree of CsWRKY TFs from different species indicated the functional diversity of WRKY TFs was not closely related to their protein classification. Concurrently, CsWRKY70-2 TF was identified as a positive regulator in response to drought stress. This study provided solid and valuable information, helping us better understand the functional diversity of CsWRKY TFs, and laid the foundation for further research on the function of key WRKY genes in tea plants.

BACKGROUND:The tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is one of the most economically important woody crops. Plastic greenhouse covering cultivation has been widely used in tea areas of northern China. Chlorophyll is not only the crucial pigment for green tea, but also plays an important role in the growth and development of tea plants. Currently, little is known about the effect of plastic greenhouse covering cultivation on chlorophyll in tea leaves.RESULTS:To investigate the effect of plastic greenhouse covering cultivation on chlorophyll in tea leaves, color difference values, chlorophyll contents, gene expression, enzyme activities and photosynthetic parameters were analyzed in our study. Sensory evaluation showed the color of appearance, liquor and infused leaves of greenhouse tea was greener than field tea. Color difference analysis for tea liquor revealed that the value of ∆L, ∆b and b/a of greenhouse tea was significantly higher than field tea. Significant increase in chlorophyll content, intracellular CO2, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and net photosynthetic rate was observed in greenhouse tea leaves. The gene expression and activities of chlorophyll-metabolism-related enzymes in tea leaves were also activated by greenhouse covering.CONCLUSION:The higher contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll in greenhouse tea samples were primarily due to higher gene expression and activities of chlorophyll-metabolism-related enzymes especially, chlorophyll a synthetase (chlG), pheophorbide a oxygenase (PAO) and chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO) in tea leaves covered by greenhouse. In general, our results revealed the molecular basis of chlorophyll metabolism in tea leaves caused by plastic greenhouse covering cultivation, which had great significance in production of greenhouse tea.

Cuttage is the main propagation method of tea plant cultivars in China. However, some tea softwood cuttings just form an expanded and loose callus at the base, without adventitious root (AR) formation during the propagation period. Meanwhile, exogenous auxin could promote the AR formation of tea plant cuttings, but the regulation mechanism has not yet explained clearly. We conducted this study to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of exogenous auxin-induced adventitious root (AR) formation of such cuttings. The transcriptional expression profile of non-rooting tea calluses in response to exogenous IBA and NAA was analyzed using ONT RNA Seq technology. In total, 56,178 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, and most of genes were significantly differentially expressed after 12 h of exogenous auxin treatment. Among these DEGs, we further identified 80 DEGs involved in the auxin induction pathway and AR formation. Specifically, 14 auxin respective genes (ARFs, GH3s, and AUX/IAAs), 3 auxin transporters (AUX22), 19 auxin synthesis- and homeostasis-related genes (cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and calmodulin-like protein (CML) genes), and 44 transcription factors (LOB domain-containing protein (LBDs), SCARECROW-LIKE (SCL), zinc finger protein, WRKY, MYB, and NAC) were identified from these DEGs. Moreover, we found most of these DEGs were highly up-regulated at some stage before AR formation, suggesting that they may play a potential role in the AR formation of tea plant cuttings. In summary, this study will provide a theoretical foundation to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanism of AR formation in tea cuttings induced by auxin during propagation time.

该研究以曼地亚红豆杉鲜叶(T.media Fresh Leaves,TFL)为材料,通过杀青、揉捻、干燥制成红豆杉茶叶(T.media Tea,TT).运用超高效液相色谱串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)分析比较曼地亚红豆杉鲜叶加工前后的差异化合物.在TFL和TT中共鉴定到796种化合物,TFL中有777种化合物,TT中有768种化合物.根据PCA结合OPLS-DA筛选出差异化合物330种,其中氨基酸、脂质、黄酮、酚酸等255种化合物在TFL中含量高,有机酸等105种化合物在TT中含量高.TFL和TT的关键差异化合物有11种,包括柠康酸、3,5-二羟基-3-甲基戊酸、(2'S3'R)-5-(N,N二甲基-3'-苯基异丝氨酰)-红豆杉三烯A、1,3,5-苯三酚、澳大利亚紫杉碱、3-羟基吡啶、吡咯-2-羧酸在 TT 中含量较高;苯甲醛、橙皮素-7-O-葡萄糖苷、9-过氧-10E,12Z-十八碳二烯酸、木犀草素-7-O-(6''-咖啡酰)鼠李糖苷在TFL中含量较高.该研究将为红豆杉鲜叶的开发利用提供理论依据.

BACKGROUND:Chestnut-like aroma is one of the unique qualities of Chinese green tea and has become an important factor influencing consumer decisions. However, the chemical formation mechanism of chestnut-like aroma during green tea processing remains unclear. In this study, the dynamic changes of key components contributing to chestnut-like aroma and their precursors were analyzed in fresh leaves, fixation leaves, first baking tea leaves, and green tea.RESULTS:The thermal process had an important effect on volatile components in tea leaves, causing a significant decrease of alcohols and esters and a significant increase of ketones, acids, phenols, and sulfur compounds. Furthermore, 31 volatiles were identified as the key odorants responsible for chestnut-like aroma of green tea, including dimethyl sulfide, methyl isobutenyl ketone, 2-methylbutanal, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, d-limonene, methyl 2-methylvalerate, linalool, decanal, longifolene, phenylethyl alcohol, l-α-terpineol, jasmone, and so on. And the majority of these odorants were only formed in the drying stage. Additionally, isoleucine, theanine, methionine, and glucose were found to be involved in the formation of chestnut-like aroma of green tea.CONCLUSION:The drying process played a vital important role in the formation of chestnut-like aroma of green tea. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Taxaceae, is a class of dioecious and evergreen plant with substantial economic and ecology value. At present many phytochemical analyses have been performed in Taxus plants. And various biological constituents have been isolated from various Taxus species. However, the difference of compounds and antioxidant capacity of different tissues of T. media is not clear. In the present study, we investigated the metabolites and antioxidant activity of four tissues of T. media, including T. media bark (TB), T. media fresh leaves (TFL), T. media seeds (TS), T. media aril (TA). In total, 808 compounds, covering 11 subclasses, were identified by using UPLC-MS/MS. Paclitaxel, the most popular anticancer compound, was found to accumulate most in TS, followed by TB, TFL and TA in order. Further analysis found that 70 key differential metabolites with VIP > 1.0 and p < 0.05, covering 8 subclasses, were screened as the key differential metabolites in four tissues. The characteristic compounds of TFL mainly included flavonoids and tanninsis. Alkaloids and phenolic acids were major characteristic compounds of TS and TB respectively. Amino acids and derivatives, organic acids, saccharides and lipids were the major characteristic compounds of TA. Additionally, based on FRAP and ABTS method, TS and TFL exhibited higher antioxidant activity than TB and TA. There was significant difference in metabolite content among different tissues of T. media. TFL and TS had higher metabolites and antioxidant capacity than other tissues, indicating that TFL and TS were more suitable for the development and utilization of T. media in foods and drinks.

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant hormone and signal required for establishing resistance to diverse pathogens and plant diseases. The abundant polyphenols in tea plants also defend plants from biotic and abiotic stresses. However, whether exogenous SA would increase the resistance of tea plants to adversity and the relationship between SA and polyphenols are still poorly understood. Here, we carried out SA treatment on tea seedlings and performed transcriptome sequencing. SA treatment inhibited the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid metabolic pathways but promoted the lignin metabolic pathways. The increased accumulation of lignin in tea leaves after treating with SA indicated that lignin might coordinate SA, enhance, and improve plant defense and disease resistance. Simultaneously, an SA-inducible flavonoid glucosyltransferase (CsUGT0554) specifically involved in 7-OH site glycosylation was characterized in vitro. These results provided valuable information about the effects of SA on tea seedlings and the molecular basis for SA-mediated immune responses.

Matcha has a unique aroma of seaweed-like, which is popular with Chinese consumers. In order to effectively understand and use matcha for drinks and tea products, we roundly analyzed the variation of main quality components of 11 matcha samples from different regions in the Chinese market. Most of matcha samples had lower ratio of tea polyphenols to amino acids (RTA), and the RTA of 9 samples of matcha was less than 10, which is beneficial to the formation of fresh and mellow taste of matcha. The total volatile compounds concentrations by HS-SPME were 1563.59 ~ 2754.09 mg/L, among which terpenoids, esters and alcohols were the top three volatile components. The total volatile compounds concentrations by SAFE was 1009.21 ~ 1661.98 mg/L, among which terpenoids, heterocyclic compounds and esters ranked the top three. The 147 volatile components with high concentration (>1 mg/L) and no difference between samples are the common odorants to the 11 samples of matcha. The 108 distinct odorants had differences among the matcha samples, which were important substances leading to the different aroma characteristics. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) showed that 11 samples of matcha were well clustered according to different components. Japanese matcha (MT, MY, ML, MR, MJ) could be clustered into two categories. The aroma composition of Guizhou matcha (GM1, GM2) was similar to that of Japanese matcha, 45 volatile components (decanal, pyrazine, 3,5-diethyl-2-methyl-, 1-hexadecanol, etc. were its characteristic aroma components. The aroma characteristics of Shandong matcha and Japanese matcha (ML, MR, MJ) were similar, 15 volatile components (γ-terpinene, myrtenol, cis-3-hexenyl valerate, etc.) were its characteristic aroma components. While Jiangsu matcha and Zhejiang matcha have similar aroma characteristics due to 225 characteristic aroma components (coumarin, furan, 2-pentyl-, etc). In short, the difference of volatile components formed the regional flavor characteristics of matcha. This study clarified the compound basis of the flavor difference of matcha from different regions in the Chinese market, and provided a theoretical basis for the selection and application of matcha in drinks and tea products.

This study investigates the volatile compounds of green tea produced with different leaves from spring, summer, and autumn in high−latitude region. A total of 95 volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Spring, summer and autumn green tea contained 68, 72 and 82 volatile compounds, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares−discrimination analysis (PLS−DA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) classified the samples and showed the difference. And 32 key characteristic components were screened out based on variable importance in the projection (VIP) values higher than 1.0. The characteristic volatile compounds of spring green tea including 18 components, such as geranylacetone, phenethyl alcohol, geraniol, β−ionone, jasmone, 1−octen−3−ol and longifolene. 13 components such as 2−methylfuran, indole, 1−octanol, D−limonene and ethanethiol were the key compounds in summer green tea. And 2,4,6−trimethylstyrene was the major differential volatile compounds in autumn green tea. The results increase our knowledge of green tea in different seasons and provide a theoretical basis for production control of green tea.

青岛茶区是山东省茶树"南茶北引"的典型代表,以崂山茶为代表的茶叶产品全国闻名.近年来,新建或更新的茶园多以无性系茶园为主,无性系茶树对土壤条件、栽培管理的要求更加严格,制约着无性系茶园的发展.本研究对青岛茶区23个无性系茶园长势与茶园土壤理化性质进行主成分分析(PCA),结果显示,较难成活、长势较差和长势好的无性系茶园可明显地被区分开.偏最小二乘判别分析法(PLS-DA)结果显示,土壤pH值和交换性钙含量是决定无性系茶园长势好坏的关键因素,与茶园的长势呈负相关.较难成活的茶园具有土壤pH值>7.0、交换性钙含量高、有效铝和有效铁含量低的共同特点;长势较差的茶园土壤pH值多为6.0～7.0,交换性钙、有效铝、有效铁含量中至少一个偏高或偏低.pH值<6.0的茶园长势普遍较好,具有有效铝和有效铁含量高的共同特点,即便个别茶园交换性钙含量较高,茶园的长势也不受影响.综上,青岛茶区在建无性系茶园前,可依据本研究结果对茶园土壤进行理化性质分析与评估,以确定无性系建园的可行性和土壤改良方案.

山东抹茶具有"海苔香显著、鲜爽味浓"的品质特征,产品已出口到欧盟、日本等国际市场.为了更好地做好山东抹茶的生产与品质评价,本研究采用扫描电镜对茶道级、一级、二级山东抹茶的粉体形貌进行表征,感官审评3个级别的抹茶及其原料碾茶,并采用电子鼻技术对其香气成分组成进行重点检测与分析.结果表明,山东抹茶颗粒大小均匀,粒度均在10μm以内.以电子鼻检测结果为基础,通过PCA分析和LDA分析可以对不同等级的山东抹茶和碾茶进行较好的区分;通过雷达图能够直观反映抹茶和碾茶的香气特征,即山东抹茶的氮氧化合物、硫化物、萜烯类化合物含量较高,其原料碾茶的氮氧化合物和甲基类化合物含量较高,碾茶加工成抹茶后的香气特征变化不大,说明好的碾茶原料是制成高品质抹茶的重要前提.根据Load-ings分析可知,氮氧化合物、硫化物、萜烯类、甲基类化合物可用于区分不同等级碾茶,甲基类、醇类、醛酮类、萜烯类化合物及硫化物、氮氧化合物可用于区分不同等级抹茶.综之,电子鼻技术与感官审评联用可全面准确地评价山东抹茶的香气品质特征,可应用于山东抹茶香气的快速评价.

Drying is an important factor in the formation of green tea flavor. In this study, metabolomic analysis were used to detect characteristic components of four green teas with clean aroma (CA), chestnut-like aroma (CLA), bean-like aroma (BLA) and high-fired aroma (HFA) produced by adjusting drying temperature. The sensory evaluation results showed that the tea dried at 90°C, 110°C, 140°C and 160°C had a clean aroma, chestnut-like aroma, bean-like aroma and high-fired aroma respectively. A total of 95 volatile compounds were identified. Linalool, naphthalene, 2-methyl-naphthalene, 1-octen-3-ol contributed most to the clean aroma. 1,2-dihydro-1,1,6-trimethyl-naphthalene was the key component of the chestnut-like aroma. 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine, 2-methyl-butanal, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine had the biggest contribution to the bean-like aroma. 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine and 2-ethyl-5-methyl-pyrazine contributed most to the high-fired aroma. A total of 838 non-volatile compounds were detected and amino acids, saccharides decreased while catechins, flavonols increased during the increasing of drying temperature. It's found that they were related to the taste of umami, astringency and bitterness. This result provides a guidance and theoretical basis for the processing of green tea with different aroma types.

Shandong matcha has the quality characteristics of bright green color, seaweed-like aroma and strong, fresh and brisk taste. In order to identify the characteristic aroma components and clarify the contribution of the grinding process to the aroma of Shandong matcha. Three grades of Shandong matcha and corresponding tencha material were firstly tested with sensory evaluation, and the volatile components were extracted with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) and analyzed using GC–MS. The sensory evaluation results showed that high-grade matcha (M-GS) had prominent seaweed-like, fresh and roasted notes, whereas medium and low-grade matcha (M-G1, M-G2) were gradually coupled with grassy, fatty and high-fired aromas. GC–MS results showed that in the HS-SPME method, heterocyclic compounds (45.84–65.35%) were the highest in Shandong matcha, followed by terpenoids (7.44–16.92%) and esters (6.91–15.27%), while in the safe method, esters were the highest (12.96–24.99%), followed by terpenoids (10.76–25.09%) and heterocyclic compounds (12.12–17.07%). As a whole, the composition of volatile components between M-G1 and M-G2 is relatively close, and there are more differences in volatile components between them and M-GS. The volatile components unique to M-GS were screened using the odor activity value (OAV) evaluation method, with components such as 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-ethyl-Phenol, 2-thiophenemethanethiol, 2,4-undecadienal, (E,E)-2,6-nonadienal, (E,Z)- being evaluated. There were other differentially volatile components, that is, volatile components that coexist in the three grades of matcha, but with different concentrations and proportions. M-G1 and M-G2 contained more volatile substances with high-fired aroma, such as 2-ethyl-3-methyl-pyrazine, coumarin and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline. The grinding process not only changes the appearance of tencha, but also increases the content of volatile components of matcha as a whole, enhancing the aroma and flavor characteristics of matcha. In this study, the contents of 24 volatile components in matcha were mainly increased, such as benzene, (2,2-dimethoxyethyl)-, cis-7-decen-1-al, safranal and fenchyl acetate. The dual factors of material tencha and matcha grinding technology are indispensable in forming the differences in aroma and flavor of Shandong matcha at different levels.

This study aimed to clarify the bioavailability mechanism of theaflavins by using the Caco-2 monolayer in vitro model. Prior to the transport of theaflavin (TF), theaflavin-3-gallate (TF3G), theaflavin-3'-gallate (TF3'G), and theaflavin-3, 3'-digallate (TFDG), we found the cytotoxicity of theaflavins was in the order of TF3'G > TFDG > TF3G > TF, suggesting the galloyl moiety enhances the cytotoxicity of theaflavins. Meantime, the galloyl moiety made theaflavins unstable, with the stability in the order of TF > TFDG > TF3G/TF3'G. Four theaflavins showed poor bioavailability with the P (app) values ranging from 0.44 x 10(-7) to 3.64 x 10(-7) cm/s in the absorptive transport. All the theaflavins showed an efflux ratio of over 1.24. And it is further confirmed that P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance associated proteins (MRPs) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) were all shown to contribute to the efflux transport of four theaflavins, with P-gp playing the most important role, followed by MRPs and BCRP. Moreover, theaflavins increased the expression of P-gp, MRP1, MPR3, and BCRP while decreased the expression of MRP2 at the transcription and translation levels. Additionally, the gallated theaflavins were degraded into simple theaflavins and gallic acids when transported through Caco-2 monolayers. Overall, the structural instability, efflux transporters, and cell metabolism were all responsible for the low bioavailability of four theaflavins in Caco-2 monolayers.

In this study, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O) analysis was performed to figure out the characteristic aroma compounds of high-latitude black teas and select the suitable cultivar for producing high-aroma black tea. Sensory evaluation revealed that Jinxuan presented an obviously floral aroma and got the highest score, followed by Longjing Changye, Zhongcha 302, Yingshuang, Baihaozao and Huangshan Quntizhong. Furthermore, a total of 135 volatiles were identified in all black teas and 12 components can be used to distinguish different latitude black teas by principal component analysis (PCA). Cluster analysis (CA) showed six samples were divided into two clusters and Jinxuan was classified separately of cluster B. Based on GC–O analysis, 41 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found to promote the aroma of high-latitude black teas. Among them, phenylethyl alcohol, geraniol, linalool, α -ionone, cis-3-hexenyl hexanoate and methyl salicylate were the major contributors to the floral fragrance of black tea and accounted for a relative high proportion in Jinxuan, Longjing Changye and Baihaozao. In summary, Jinxuan and Longjing Changye were suitable for producing high-quality black tea in high-latitude area.