Survey on processing and quality evaluation of Cordyceps militaris instant tea

Abstract

Cordyceps militaris has historically been utilized in traditional medicine across numerous Asian nations to address ailments and enhance human health. Currently, many strains of mushrooms have been successfully cultivated on substrates, creating a stable supply while helping to preserve precious medicinal species in nature. The aim of this research is to determine an appropriate recipe for instant tea products derived from the liquid extract of Cordyceps militaris utilizing the convection drying technique. The liquid extract of C. militaris was obtained using a hot extraction method using 75% ethanol as the solvent, at a C. militaris liquid extract to ethanol ratio of 1:3 (v/v), and an extraction temperature of 60°C for 60 minutes. C. militaris instant tea is produced by grinding the seeds in a ratio of C. militaris liquid extract to lactose of 1:7 (v/w). The resulting brilliant yellow powder is fully soluble in water, yielding a brown tea beverage with a distinctive cordyceps scent. The C. militaris instant tea product contains 106.82 ± 12 µg/g of cordycepin, achieves an average sensory score of 19.13 out of 20 according to TCVN 3215-1979 (Ủy ban Khoa học và Kỹ thuật Nhà nước, 1979), and complies with food safety and hygiene criteria for physical, chemical, and microbiological indicators.