TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between chemistry and taste of tea
T2 - A review
AU - Zhang, Liang
AU - Cao, Qing Qing
AU - Granato, Daniel
AU - Xu, Yong Quan
AU - Ho, Chi Tang
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Background: Taste is an important factor in evaluating the quality of tea. The sweet and umami tastes are usually well-accepted for consumers, whereas the bitter and astringent tastes are usually undesired, but they are important for providing the complex sensory perceptions of Camellia teas. The compounds responsible for the bitterness and astringency in tea leaves can be modified by processing, and subsequently endowed different taste of various tea types. Therefore, the taste of tea is closely related to the chemical constituents, and the taste mechanism is critical for improving tea quality. Scope and approach: The aim of this review is to review and discuss the association between chemical composition of Camellia teas and their effects on bitterness, astringency, sweetness aftertaste and umami. Key findings and conclusions: In the tea infusion, flavonol-O-glycosides, tannins and galloylated catechins are the main astringent compounds, caffeine and non-galloylated catechins enhance the tea bitterness. Furthermore, L-theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid and theogallin contribute to the umami taste. Sweetness aftertaste is a unique perception of green tea, which is attributed to the hydrolysis of galloylated catechins. T1R2 and T1R3 have been identified as sweet and umami taste receptors, while T2Rs functionas the bitter taste receptor.
AB - Background: Taste is an important factor in evaluating the quality of tea. The sweet and umami tastes are usually well-accepted for consumers, whereas the bitter and astringent tastes are usually undesired, but they are important for providing the complex sensory perceptions of Camellia teas. The compounds responsible for the bitterness and astringency in tea leaves can be modified by processing, and subsequently endowed different taste of various tea types. Therefore, the taste of tea is closely related to the chemical constituents, and the taste mechanism is critical for improving tea quality. Scope and approach: The aim of this review is to review and discuss the association between chemical composition of Camellia teas and their effects on bitterness, astringency, sweetness aftertaste and umami. Key findings and conclusions: In the tea infusion, flavonol-O-glycosides, tannins and galloylated catechins are the main astringent compounds, caffeine and non-galloylated catechins enhance the tea bitterness. Furthermore, L-theanine, succinic acid, gallic acid and theogallin contribute to the umami taste. Sweetness aftertaste is a unique perception of green tea, which is attributed to the hydrolysis of galloylated catechins. T1R2 and T1R3 have been identified as sweet and umami taste receptors, while T2Rs functionas the bitter taste receptor.
KW - Astringency
KW - Bitterness
KW - Catechin
KW - Flavonoid glycoside
KW - Taste
KW - Tea
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085574712&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tifs.2020.05.015
DO - 10.1016/j.tifs.2020.05.015
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85085574712
SN - 0924-2244
VL - 101
SP - 139
EP - 149
JO - Trends in Food Science and Technology
JF - Trends in Food Science and Technology
ER -