Abstract: With the aim to study the effect of drying methods on the aroma Characteristics of Pu-erh tea, the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for the determination of volatiles in Pu-erh tea dried by baking, air-drying and sun-drying respectively. Results showed: Thirty-five compounds representing 95.4% of aroma contents of air-dried sample were identified with lower contents of terpenes and alcohols but higher contents of esters. Some biphenyls compounds which contributed to the stale odor of Pu-erh tea were distinct compounds of the air-dried sample. As for the sun-dried sample, Twenty-eight compounds representing 96.5% of aroma contents were identified with higher contents of ketones and lower contents of esters. In the baked sample, Twenty-four compounds representing 98.6% of aroma contents were identified with more alcohols compounds such as epoxylinalol, α-terpineol, 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-cyclohex- 2-enone contributed to the camerlsed and sweet flower odor of tea. The results were consistent with that of sensory tests. Sensory tests showed: The characteristic aroma of sun-dried tea, baked tea and air-dried tea were pungent, high-fired and stale odour, respectively. Results showed both baking methods and sun-drying methods were not suitable for Pu-erh tea, but the air-drying methods were the best method of the formation of Pu-erh tea aroma.

Key words: Pu-erh tea, drying process, aromatic components, headspace solid phase microextraction