Comparison of Sensory Characteristics of Green Tea Produced in Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho Province, Vietnam

Green tea is a popular product with a high consumption in Vietnam. Moreover, green tea produced in Tan Cuong commune, Thai Nguyen province, has long been recognized for its superior quality to those coming from other regions of the country. This study aims at comparing the tea from Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho and finding out if the difference can be identified through sensory analysis. Two products picked from Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen province, and two others from Phu Ho district, Phu Tho province were evaluated by a trained panel of 12 judges (11 women and 1 man). The sensory evaluation of the dry tea (11 descriptors) was carried out separately from the brewed tea (21 descriptors) and brewed leaf (five descriptors) using an unstructured intensity scale (10 cm). Statistic analyses have shown differences between regions in all three groups of attributes: dry leaf, liquor and brewed leaf.