Tibetan Tea Drives Baijiu Flavor Formation via Microbial Niche Modulation in Daqu: A Multi-Omics Study

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Tibetan tea's bioactive components and flavor profiles are gaining interest for food applications.
• Limited research exists on Tibetan tea's role in Daqu fermentation for Baijiu production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Tibetan tea on Daqu fermentation and Baijiu flavor formation.
• To elucidate the microbial and metabolic changes associated with Tibetan tea addition in Daqu.

Main Methods:

• Utilized integrated microbiome (high-throughput sequencing) and metabolome (GC-MS, amino acid analysis) approaches.
• Employed electronic sensory analysis and correlation network analysis to link microbial and metabolic data.
• Compared Tibetan tea Daqu (TD) with traditional wheat Daqu (WD).

Main Results:

• Tibetan tea Daqu (TD) exhibited significantly higher microbial richness and improved fermentation performance compared to wheat Daqu (WD).
• TD fermentation enriched functional microbes (e.g., Sphingobium, Komagataella, Cyberlindnera) linked to enzyme activity and flavor precursors.
• Tibetan tea Daqu Baijiu (TDB) showed elevated levels of esters, acids, terpenes, and amino acids, resulting in distinct sweet, umami, woody, and tea-like aromas.

Conclusions:

• Tibetan tea addition restructures Daqu microbiota, influencing key metabolic pathways like phenylalanine metabolism, esterification, and phenolic transformation.
• These findings establish a link between raw materials (Tibetan tea), microbial communities, and the final flavor profile of Baijiu.
• Provides a scientific basis for developing novel Baijiu varieties with targeted flavor characteristics using Tibetan tea.