Abstract: To investigate the regulatory effect of the shaking-green process on the quality of Xinyang black tea, fresh leaves of Wuniuzao and Xinyang population cultivar tea plants were used as raw materials to prepare black tea using traditional process and shaking-green process, respectively. Differences in quality and aroma components were systematically analyzed by combining sensory evaluation, physicochemical component determination, and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) technology. The results showed that the shaking-green process increased the contents of water extract, soluble sugar, gallocatechin, and theaflavins in Xinyang black tea, effectively reducing the bitter and astringent taste of the tea infusion and making the flavor more mellow and rich. A total of 50 aroma components were identified by GC-MS technology. In the black tea made from Xinyang population cultivar, the shaking-green process increased the contents of aldehydes, alkenes, and esters. In the black tea made from Wuniuzao, the shaking-green process increased the contents of aldehydes, alkenes, ketones, alcohols, and furans.Among the four tea samples, the black tea made from Xinyang population cultivar using the shaking-green process had relatively higher contents of linalool, methyl salicylate, trans-2-hexenyl hexanoate, and linalool oxide. The black tea made from Wuniuzao using the shaking-green process had relatively higher contents of linalool, (Z)-3-hexenyl hexanoate, methyl salicylate, and linalool oxide. The black tea made from Xinyang population cultivar using the traditional process had relatively higher contents of linalool, methyl salicylate, trans-2-hexenyl hexanoate, linalool oxide, and phenylacetaldehyde. The black tea made from Wuniuzao using the traditional process had relatively higher contents of linalool, (Z)-3-hexenyl hexanoate, methyl salicylate, trans-2-hexenyl hexanoate, and linalool oxide.In conclusion, introducing the shaking-green process during the processing of Xinyang black tea could effectively reduce the bitter and astringent taste, enhance the mellow sensation, and improve the aroma quality.

Key words: shaking-green process, Xinyang black tea, aroma characteristics, Wuniuzao, Xinyang population cultivar