Abstract: The aroma components of tea leaves of Wuyi Dahongpao during the preliminary processing were investigated by headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results show that compared to the fresh leaves, the aroma component contents of alkanes, aldehydes and ketones such as nonaldehyde, tetradecane, tridecane, dodecane, butyl-2-ethyl-1,2,3-propyltriester, di-tert-dodecyl disulfide and orange blossom tert acetate were decreased drastically during the preliminary processing, which were decreased by 72.4%, 91.8% and 63.6% in the raw made tea, respectively. The alcohol, ester and olefin aroma components such as nerolidol, alpha olefin, indole, phenylacetonitrile, phenylethyl alcohol, caproic acid ester, hexanoic acid-shun 3-hexene ester, hexanoic acid-2-hexene ester and benzoic acid ester, acid-3-hexene-1-ester, and benzoic acid 2-hexene ester were largely increased during the preliminary process. The alcohol, ester and olefin aroma components involved in the characteristic flavor of Dahongpao were increased by 215.5%, 70.8% and 682.6% in the raw made tea respectively.

Key words: Wuyi Dahongpao, preliminary processing, scent changing, characteristic aroma components