# Chrysanthemum flavour fingerprints offer a route to better ingredient selection

> A five-variety comparison combines chemical analysis with electronic sensing, while leaving human flavour perception and year-to-year consistency to further testing.

URL: https://foodradar.org/chrysanthemum-tea-varieties-flavour-fingerprints
Language: en
Author: FoodRadar Editorial
Published: 2026-10-07T11:12:35.961Z
Updated: 2026-10-07T11:12:35.961Z
Source publication date: 2026-09-19
Category: Research
Türkçe: https://foodradar.org/tr/chrysanthemum-tea-varieties-flavour-fingerprints

## Five familiar names, different analytical profiles

Chrysanthemum ingredients sold under different varietal names do not necessarily deliver the same aroma and taste profile. A September study compared Boju, Chuju, Gongju, Hangju and Huaiju using an electronic tongue, an electronic nose and two mass-spectrometry approaches. The resulting chemical and sensor patterns distinguished the five commercial varieties and identified candidate markers for quality evaluation.

The researchers obtained authenticated batches from a herbal market in Bozhou, China. The varieties are traditionally associated with different geographical origins, but the investigation sampled a single production period. Its findings therefore describe the material examined, rather than proving a permanent flavour signature for every harvest sold under each name.

## Chemical analysis and sensing answered different questions

Liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry examined the low-molecular-weight fraction, while gas chromatography–mass spectrometry examined volatile compounds. The researchers identified 19 common low-molecular-weight and 26 common volatile peaks. Statistical comparisons then selected compounds that helped distinguish the varieties, including flavonoid glycosides, caffeoylquinic acids and several aroma-related volatiles.

The electronic tongue tested filtered infusions prepared with hot water. The electronic nose instead measured the headspace above powdered material. These instruments produce response patterns that can help differentiate samples; they do not experience flavour as a person does. The analytical extractions also differed from one another, making it important to distinguish a chemical fingerprint from the composition or sensory effect of a cup prepared by a consumer.

## Hangju and Huaiju stood apart in different ways

The authors characterised Hangju as having the richest taste-related sensor profile and the weakest aroma, while Huaiju showed the strongest pine, woody, floral and fruity aroma associations. Their statistical work linked several caffeoylquinic acids and luteolin-related compounds to taste responses, and compounds including alpha-pinene, camphene and camphor to volatile-sensing patterns.

Those links are associations, not proof that an isolated compound causes a particular perceived flavour at its concentration in the drink. The study itself calls for further sensory evaluation and targeted validation. No consumer preference ranking follows from the finding that a variety gives a stronger instrument response, and stronger aroma does not automatically make an ingredient more suitable for every beverage formulation.

## Useful markers still need validation

Compound identification relied mainly on accurate mass, fragmentation patterns and database matching, with authentic standards used to confirm some representative substances. The authors recommend more standard-based identification and targeted quantification. Volatile results were largely comparative, so analysis with internal standards would strengthen estimates of individual compounds’ contributions.

For tea and beverage developers, the work offers an analytical approach to checking incoming material and selecting varieties for different flavour directions. Its next test is consistency across years and batches, followed by sensory confirmation in the intended product. The study supports a more discriminating ingredient specification; it does not establish health benefits, geographical authenticity in every market sample or a finished formulation that consumers are guaranteed to prefer.

## Sources and rights

- [Comparative Study on Taste and Odor Flavor Compounds of Chrysanthemums from Five Different Varieties Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, GC-MS, E-Tongue, E-Nose, and Chemometrics.](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13606529?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=chrysanthemum-tea-varieties-flavour-fingerprints-en). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). Hu G, Li X, Qin G, Ben A, Qi J. Comparative Study on Taste and Odor Flavor Compounds of Chrysanthemums from Five Different Varieties Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, GC-MS, E-Tongue, E-Nose, and Chemometrics. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2026. DOI: 10.3390/foods15183328. © 2026 by the authors. [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=chrysanthemum-tea-varieties-flavour-fingerprints-en-license).

Adapted by FoodRadar.

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