Variation in the Aroma Composition of Jasmine Tea with Storage Duration

This study investigated the changes in the aroma of jasmine tea during storage. Solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)-GC-MS were combined to detect all volatile compounds. GC-olfactometry (GC-O), odor activity value (OAV), and <i>p</i>-value were employed to analyze and identify the key aroma compounds in six jasmine tea samples stored for different durations. Nine key aroma compounds were discovered, namely (<i>Z</i>)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, methyl anthranilate, methyl salicylate, trans-<i>β</i>-ionone, linalool, geraniol, (<i>Z</i>)-4-heptenal, benzoic acid methyl ester, and benzoic acid ethyl ester. The importance of these compounds was confirmed through the aroma addition experiment. Correlation analysis showed that (<i>Z</i>)-4-heptenal might be the main reason for the increase in the stale aroma of jasmine tea. Through sensory evaluation and specific experimental analysis, it can be concluded that jasmine tea had the best aroma after 3 years of storage, and too long a storage time may cause the overall aroma of the tea to weaken and produce an undesirable odor. The findings can provide a reference for the change in aroma during the storage of jasmine tea and provide the best storage time (3 years) in terms of jasmine tea aroma.