How much could jasmine or rose aroma help cut sugar in green tea while keeping its sweetness and appeal?

Details

Researchers tested sweetened green tea with jasmine, rose or lavender aroma at 100%, 80% and 70% of a reference sugar level. The 182 panelists rated how much they liked the drinks, whether their sensory qualities were at the right level, and which characteristics they noticed.

Reducing sugar lowered perceived sweetness and liking in control drinks. In contrast, jasmine and rose aromas increased perceived sweetness in reduced-sugar drinks, with differences reported as statistically significant. Jasmine maintained sweetness and overall liking at up to 30% less sugar than the reference level, while rose did so at up to 20% less. This reported maintenance does not establish that the drinks were identical in taste or appeal.

Lavender offered limited sweetness enhancement and was associated with more bitterness and a drying, puckering sensation. The findings therefore support selected aromas, not floral aromas in general, as a possible way to help reduce sugar in these drinks.

The abstract does not provide the sizes or uncertainty ranges of the rating differences or describe the panelists' backgrounds. It remains unclear how well the findings apply to other consumers or tea recipes. The study assessed people's impressions of the drinks, not long-term drinking habits or health outcomes.