Objective The primary chemicals related to flavor and taste in tea were correlated with the altitude of the plantations where the plants were cultivated.

Method Samples of one-bud-two-shoots from tea bushes of different varieties of Jinmudan Tea grown at varied elevations in Zhouning County were collected in the spring of 2024 for a standard national analysis on flavor components after steaming and drying to chemically stabilize the picked leaves. Data obtained were analyzed for possible correlations with the altitude of corresponding plantations by linear and quadratic regressions.

Result The regression analyses identified (1) a positive linear correlation between the total free amino acid content in tea and the plantation altitude (P<0.05), (2) a significant quadratic correlation between the tea polyphenols and the plantation altitude (P<0.05), (3) significant linear and quadratic correlations between the tea caffeine content and the plantation altitude (P<0.05), (4) significant linear and quadratic correlations between the tea phenol to ammonia ratio and the plantation altitude (P<0.001), (5) a significant linear correlation between the theanine in tea and the plantation altitude (P<0.05), and (6) a close to significant linear correlation between the water extracts in tea and the plantation altitude. However, no significant correlation was found between the soluble sugar content in tea and the plantation altitude.

Conclusion The major chemicals attributed to the flavor and taste of a tea including free amino acids, tea polyphenols, caffeine, phenol to ammonia ratio, and theanine in Jinmudan tea leaves significantly correlated with the altitude of a plantation where the plants were grown. On the other hand, either slightly or not at all, the water extracts and soluble sugar of the tea was found to correlate with the geographic elevation of the planting area.