Research Progress on External Aroma Enhancement Technologies for Tea

Aroma is a key quality characteristic of tea. In recent years, with the rapid growth of the tea beverage market, particularly ready-to-drink tea, consumers' demand for diverse and personalized tea aromas has continued to rise. To meet this demand, external aroma enhancement technologies for tea have gradually become a focal point of research. These technologies significantly enhance the flavor and aromatic complexity of tea by introducing external flavoring agents or aromatic substances. This paper reviews the latest advancements in tea external aroma enhancement technologies, with a focus on flavoring techniques involving edible flavoring extracts and external enzyme -based enhancement methods. The goal is to offer new insights for advancing tea aroma enhancement technologies and, more broadly, tea processing technologies. It also aims to support the improvement of tea quality, especially for raw tea materials used in ready-to-drink tea beverages.