A flavor-modification strategy for Pu-erh raw tea to selectively rebalance key aroma-taste drivers and improve drinking comfort based on supercritical CO2 technology.

Flavor adjustment techniques have long been an essential topic in tea research, among them, supercritical CO₂ extraction (SFE-CO₂) remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of SFE-CO₂ to reshape aroma-taste profiles of Pu-erh raw tea (RAPT). Two key control factors including cosolvent and rehydration pre-treatment were constructed, RAPT and five SFE treatments were compared. Sensory evaluation, HPLC-UV, targeted polyphenol analysis, untargeted volatile compound analysis, and odor activity value (OAV) were integrated to characterize sensory responses and chemical drivers. SFE treatments generally reduced bitterness, astringency, and aftertaste intensity, whereas umami and sweetness scores showed no significant differences among treatments. Major tea matrix constituents, including total polyphenols (19.75-20.28%) and total free amino acids (3.37-3.89%) remained stable, whereas caffeine decreased by up to 32.28%. Polyphenol monomers and volatiles analysis showed compositional rebalancing pattern rather than a global loss. Five polyphenol and six key volatiles were identified as markers for process monitoring (such as morin, luteolin, gallic acid, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, β-cyclocitral and geraniol). Collectively, these results established a framework for SFE-enabled flavor improvement in tea.