Quality characteristics of tea of Tenebrio molitor larvae according to manufacturing methods

The purpose of this study was to expand the possibility Tenebrio molitor larvae as a food material. Different types of tea were produced using microwaved Tenebrio molitor L., and the quality characteristics were analyzed. Leached tea (T1) was prepared by leaching the crushed microwaved larvae. Liquid tea (T2) was prepared by first extracting the crushed larvae with distilled water and then diluting it. To prepare the solid tea (T3), dextrin was added to the extract, which was then spray-dried and dissolved in distilled water. Amino acid contents, pH, soluble solids, transmittance, color, and sensory properties were examined to evaluate the quality characteristics of the three types of tea. It was revealed that the total amino acid was abundant in T1 (277.76 mg/g), and the proline content was the highest in all the teas. The pH of T3 was 6.58, which was significantly the lowest among T1, T2, and T3. T3 had the highest content of soluble solids (5.33 °Brix) and highest transmittance (37.33%). The analysis of color values revealed that the L^* (lightness) value of T1 was the highest (50.92), while the a^* (redness) values of T1, T2, and T3 were similar (-0.42, -0.18, and 0.64, respectively). The b^* (yellowness) value of T3 was the highest (6.47). The sensory evaluations revealed that T1 was significantly superior in color, flavor, umami taste, and overall acceptability. Turbidity, sweetness, and saltiness of the three teas were not significantly different. Overall, the quality characteristics of A are the best.