Abstract
This study was carried out to examinate the effect of aging period on chromatic, chemical and organoleptic characteristics, and to evaluate of optimum aging period for each grade in flue-cured leaf tobacco. The leaf tobaccos were produced in 2000, and threshed, redried and packed in carton box under the current methods. Four grades of processed leaf(A3O, B1O, C1L and D3L) were stored during 24 months(May 10, 2001 to April 31, 2003) in warehouse of Chungju Leaf Tobacco Processing Factory. The leaf tobaccos were sampled at three month intervals for analysis of chromatic, chemical and organoleptic properties. Yellow(b), pH values and total sugar contents of four grades were significantly decreased during the aging. Filling values, tar, nicotine and CO contents of tobacco smoke, and puff number of cigarettes were not significantly changed during the aging. Positive correlation coefficients were significantly observed between taste and irritation of the calculated attributes from contents of volatile oil components in leaf tobacco and those of the panel sensory attributes. The ratio of maximum change in taste attribute was larger than that in irritation attribute during aging. The optimum aging periods estimated by taste for A3O, B1O, C1L and D3L were 17.8, 14.9, 10.8, and 9.8 months, respectively. The thin leaf(Primings and Cutters) undergo satisfactory aging earlier as compared to bodied leaf(Leaf and Tips). The results suggest that decrease of aging period for thin leaf from 18～21 to 9～12 months may be beneficial to save storage cost in flue-cured tobacco.