Comparative Analysis of the Quality of Yuexi Cuilan from Different Production Regions in Yuexi County

To explore the influence of different production areas on the quality of Yuexi Cuilan, using one-bud, two-leaf fresh leaves from six townships in Yuexi County, namely Shizui Village in Yexi Town, Changling Village in Changpu Town, Hongqi Village in Maojianshan Township, Tiling Village in Yaohe Township, Huxing Village in Toutuo Town, and Longwang Village in Yaohe Township. These leaves were processed into Yuexi Cuilan using the same technique, followed by physicochemical testing and sensory quality analysis. The results showed that Yuexi Cuilan had a rich overall composition, with particularly high levels of free amino acids.; Yuexi Cuilan from Longwang Village in Yaohe Township and Huxing Village in Toutuo Town has a higher sensory score among the six production areas. A partial least squares discriminant analysis model was established based on the relative content of various quality components, successfully distinguishing Yuexi Cuilan samples from six production areas. These four key components were identified, namely caffeine, catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), and gallocatechin (GC), which can be used as quality indicators to distinguish Yuexi Cuilan samples from six production areas. The results of this study will provide scientific guidance for improving the processing technology and quality of Yuexi Cuilan.