The unique aroma of ripened Pu-erh tea, Liupao tea and Tietban tea: Associated post-fermentation condition and dominant microorganism with key aroma-active compound.

Dark tea with a unique aroma is a particular type of tea. Post-fermentation is the key manufacturing process that forms a unique aroma, distinguishing dark tea from other types of tea. Different post-fermentation conditions may be the reason for forming unique aromas in various dark teas. Microbial community and composition during post-fermentation are the main contributors to the formation of characteristic aroma in various dark teas. In this paper, we illustrated the differences in fermentation length, pile temperature and water content of ripened Pu-erh tea, Liupao tea and Tibetan tea during post-fermentation, and only six dominant microorganisms and six key aroma-active compounds were found to be consistent among the three dark teas. Furthermore, we elaborated on the correlations between key aroma-active compounds and core functional microorganisms during post-fermentation. Exploring these interrelationships during post-fermentation is crucial and worthwhile to maintain the stability of the aroma quality of the three dark teas.