Quality Characteristics of White Leaf Tea of ‘Baiye 1’ (Camellia sinensis) in Different Producing Areas

Abstract

In order to find out the differences in tea quality characteristics from different regions and the reasons for their formation, 32 biochemical components, 22 mineral elements, and 3 stable isotope ratios were determined in 93 white leaf tea (WLT) samples. The findings revealed that significant differences in the content of free amino acids, catechins, caffeine, several mineral elements, and stable isotope ratios were observed among the WLT samples of different origins. Furthermore, a Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlations of 15 chemical composition qualities and 14 mineral elements with soil factors. The δ13C and δ18O values were significantly correlated with meteorological factors. Classification models based on multiple chemical signatures facilitated successful differentiation of WLT of different origins, achieving a high prediction accuracy of over 90%. This study comprehensively identified distinct quality characteristics of WLT from different regions in China and proved an effective method in classifying WLT samples from the main production areas.