Method for the manufacture of a green tea product
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a green tea product with enhanced aroma. The method comprises the steps of: providing an aroma composition comprising E-2-hexenal and linalool in a weight ratio of at least 0.7:1; and combining the aroma composition with the tea product. Also provided are green tea products with enhanced aroma.
1. A method of manufacturing a green tea product with enhanced aroma, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an aroma composition comprising E-2-hexenal and linalool in a weight ratio of at least 0.7:1; and
(b) combining the aroma composition with a green tea leaf product.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the E-2-hexenal and linalool weight ratio is from 0.8:1 to 10:1.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aroma composition comprises E-2-hexenal in an amount of at least 1000 ppm.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aroma composition comprises linalool in an amount of at least 1000 ppm.
5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aroma composition is provided by a process comprising recovering aroma from fresh tea leaf.
6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the aroma is recovered from fresh leaf that has been withered.
7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the aroma is recovered from substantially unfermented fresh leaf.
8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the aroma is recovered from fresh leaf that has not been heat-treated in order to arrest and/or prevent fermentation.
9. A method of claim 1 further comprising infusing green tea leaf product in water to provide a ready-to-drink tea comprising E-2-hexenal and linalool in a weight ratio of at least 0.7:1.
10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the E-2-hexenal and linalool weight ratio is from 0.8:1 to 10:1.
11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ready-to-drink tea comprises E-2-hexenal in an amount of at least 50 ppb.
12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ready-to-drink tea comprises linalool in an amount of at least 50 ppb.
13. A method according to claim 9 wherein the E-2-hexenal and linalool weight ratio is from 0.9:1 to 5:1.
14. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ready-to-drink tea comprises E-2-hexenal in an amount of from 100 to 500 ppb.
15. A method according to claim 9 wherein the ready-to-drink tea comprises linalool in an amount of from 100 to 500 ppb.
16. A method according to claim 1 wherein the E-2-hexenal and linalool weight ratio is from 0.9:1 to 5:1.
17. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aroma composition comprises E-2-hexenal in an amount of from 3000 to 10000 ppm.
18. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aroma composition comprises linalool in an amount of from 2000 to 8000 ppm.