A study on tea aroma formation mechanism: alcoholic aroma precursor amounts and glycosidase activity in parts of the tea plant.

We have shown in molecular basis that alcoholic tea aroma is mainly formed by endogenous enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosidic aroma precursors during manufacturing. Amounts of alcoholic aroma precursor and glycosidase activity in each part of the tea shoot (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis cv Yabukita and a hybrid of var. assamica & var. sinensis cv Izumi) were indirectly measured by means of a crude enzyme assay. The aroma precursors were abundant in young leaves and decreased as the leaf aged. Glycosidase activity also decreased as leaves aged, but was high in stems.