The volatile components of black tea were isolated by extraction with supercritical CO₂ under pressure followed by atmospheric steam distillation and enrichment of steam volatiles on Porapak Q. The total black tea aroma fraction was separated into basic and neutral components. A total of 56 constituents, mainly pyridines, pyrazines, quinolines, thiazoles, aromatic amines, and carbonyls, have been identified for the first time in black tea. The present paper reports on the identification of hitherto unknown volatile black tea aroma ingredients, mainly nitrogen-containing constituents, which were separated by using a new mild isolation technique which is generally applicable in food odor research (Vitzthum et al., 1975).