To explore the effects of different withering methods on the quality of Congou black tea, this study focused on five different withering methods: natural withering, warm-air withering, sun–natural combined withering, sun withering, and shaking withering. Gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC‒MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ion-exchange chromatography techniques were used to analyze the nonvolatile and volatile components and composition of the tea. The results revealed significant differences (p 1. Among them, benzylaldehyde, trans-2-decenal, decanal, benzaldehyde, nonanal, hexanal, trans-linalool, and geraniol from the shaking withering method had significantly higher ROVA values than those from the other withering methods, which may be the reason for the prominent floral and fruity aroma of shaking withering. This study revealed the impact of different withering methods on the quality of Congou black tea, providing a scientific basis for the development of Congou black tea with different flavors and the improvement of Congou black tea processing techniques.
