Effects of Different Processing Technologies on the Quality of Camellia nitidissima Chi Flower Tea

Using flowers of 'Honghe No.1' (Camellia nitidissima Chi) as the materials, in this study, the effects of five processing technologies, including baking, sunning, desiccant drying, steaming+baking, and withering+baking, on the organoleptic quality of the products and the main biochemical compositions. The results showed that different processing technologies had different degrees of influence on the sensory quality and the main biochemical composition of C. nitidissima, in which the sensory quality of the products produced by the process of withering+baking was the best, the sensory score was 87.68 with the uniform flower color, full flower, fragrant aroma, and fresh taste. The process of steaming+baking was the second, the sensory score was 85.53. Sunning in the appearance of poor, and the score was only 80.25. Desiccant drying was worse in terms of soup colour, and the score was only 82.13. The sensory score of the baking was the worst, with a total score of only 80.78, which showed that the flowers were discolored, the petals were shriveled, the smell was pungent and the taste was bitter. The contents of main biochemical components, including water extract, soluble sugar, free amino acids, catechins, and flavonoids, were the highest by the process of withering+baking, the contents were 43.01%, 6.26%, 2.76%, 5.07 mg/g, 2.47 mg/g respectively, while the lowest by the process of sunning. The contents of minerals expect were the highest by the process of withering+baking, the total content was 5279.33 mg/kg, while they were at a low level by the process of baking or desiccant drying. Therefore, the withering+baking process was the most suitable for processing C. nitidissima, which would provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent production of C. nitidissima and the rational development and utilization of C. nitidissima resources.