Shaking and withering intensity from oolong tea processing alters the chemical and sensory quality of tobacco

Tobacco curing is decisive for final leaf quality, but conventional methods rely mainly on temperature and humidity regulation, resulting in flavor profiles that are overly dependent on raw leaf material and offer limited plasticity. To actively design aroma characteristics, this study introduces the shaking-withering principle from oolong tea processing, applying controlled mechanical and oxidative stress to steer the aroma-chemical transformation of tobacco leaves. We systematically compared this novel approach with conventional curing using Yunyan 87 leaves, focusing on how shaking and withering intensity drive chemical and sensory outcomes. Shaking-withering fundamentally remodeled the volatile profile by enriching key alcohols and terpenes, which promoted desirable caramelized and nutty aromas, improved chemical harmony, and reduced pigment content-collectively enhancing sensory quality. Processing intensity served as a critical control point, with shaking and withering differentially regulating distinct chemical pathways. The strong correlation between volatile composition and sensory indicators confirmed the high tunability of the process.In summary, this study establishes shaking-withering as a viable and innovative curing strategy that bridges a technological gap. It provides a new tool for actively designing and diversifying tobacco flavor through precise stress-based processing, offering a novel pathway for developing products.