By combining advanced volatile-compound detection with sensory testing, the researchers identified the compounds most responsible for this transition, especially 1-octen-3-ol, 2,3-butanedione, 2-methylpentanal, and 2-octanol.
Golden flower white tea is a relatively new tea product made by applying the traditional Fu brick tea flowering process to white tea. That process includes steaming, pressing, microbial fermentation, and drying, and it is known to trigger complex biochemical changes associated with the growth of Eurotium cristatum. Researchers have long used methods such as GC-MS to study tea aroma, but each technique alone has limitations: some methods miss trace volatile compounds, while others cannot identify all signals because of incomplete databases. Until now, the dynamic changes in aroma compounds throughout the full processing chain of golden flower white tea had not been systematically mapped, leaving a key gap in understanding how this novel tea acquires its signature flavor.
A study (DOI: 10.48130/bpr-0025-0037) published in Beverage Plant Research on 11 February 2026 by Yuefang Gao’s & Bin Xiao’s team, Northwest A & F University, shows that the traditional flowering process dramatically reshapes white tea aroma, with the steaming stage and the middle-to-late flowering stage exerting the strongest effects and driving the tea toward a mushroom-like, creamy, floral, fruity, and woody sensory profile.
The researchers sampled tea at five processing stages: raw material, after steaming, after 4 days of flowering, after 8 days of flowering, and after drying. They analyzed volatile compounds using both GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS, then applied ROAV analysis to identify the compounds most likely to shape aroma and used trained-panel sensory evaluation to connect chemistry with human perception. In total, they identified 59 volatile compounds with GC-IMS and 152 with GC-MS, showing that the dual-platform strategy provided a broader view of aroma evolution than either method alone. The sensory panel found a clear progression: the raw tea was dominated by green notes, intermediate stages became fruitier, and the late flowering and dried samples developed the strongest mushroom-like and woody aromas. The chemical data matched that sensory shift closely. GC-IMS showed that many low-boiling aldehydes were abundant in raw material but declined as processing advanced, while compounds associated with later-stage fermentation rose sharply. Among the most important markers were 1-octen-3-ol, linked to mushroom aroma; 2,3-butanedione, associated with creamy and buttery notes; and 2-methylpentanal, tied to fruity and green character. The ROAV of 1-octen-3-ol peaked during the 8-day flowering stage, and GC-MS also confirmed that this compound reached its highest concentration at that point, suggesting it is a signature product of E. cristatum fermentation. Meanwhile, methyl salicylate increased markedly and likely contributed to the “fungal flower” character, while green-note aldehydes such as hexanal declined strongly, matching the sensory disappearance of green aroma. Statistical modeling further showed that steaming and the 4-to-8-day flowering window were the most decisive stages in shaping the volatile profile. Together, these findings reveal a coordinated chemical transition in which fresh, green volatiles fade and fermentation-derived compounds build the finished tea’s distinctive identity.
Overall, the study shows that the traditional flowering process does more than alter white tea slightly; it creates a new aroma system. The hallmark of quality evolution in golden flower white tea is the weakening of green notes and the emergence of mushroom-like and related late-stage aromas. By pinpointing when those changes occur and which compounds drive them, the work provides a practical foundation for flavor regulation, process optimization, and the future diversification of white tea products.
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References
DOI
10.48130/bpr-0025-0037
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.48130/bpr-0025-0037
Funding Information
This study was supported by Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Provincial (2023-YBNY-145, 2025NC-YBXM-143), Scientific and Technological Innovation Support Plan of Xianyang City (L2023-CXNL-CXRC-008), Local Government Cooperation Project of Jingyang County (K4050122051).
About Beverage Plant Research
Beverage Plant Research (e-ISSN 2769-2108) is the official journal of Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and China Tea Science Society. Beverage Plant Research is an open-access, online-only journal published by Maximum Academic Press. Beverage Plant Research publishes original research, methods, reviews, editorials, and perspectives that advance the biology, chemistry, processing, and health functions of tea and other important beverage plants.