Abstract:Mold-ripened cheese typically contains low levels of unsaturated fatty acids （UFAs），while tea oil can compensate for the deficiency of low UFAs content in cheese. This study developed a novel tea oil-enriched cheese with an improved UFAs profile through optimization of the fermentation process by incorporating Actinomucor elegans as a starter culture and tea oil as a lipid substrate. The results showed that the A. elegans strain screened for high UFAs production achieved a total UFAs content of 28.95%. Compared to mold-ripened cheese，tea oil cheese exhibited an increase in oleic acid content by 1.65% and linoleic acid content by 1.98%. Through process optimization，the following parameters were established： mold inoculum size of 0.7%，fermentation at 27 ℃ for 7 d，and white granulated sugar addition of 2.0%. During ripening，the tea oil cheese （Cheese A） exhibited enhanced controllability of protein and fat hydrolysis，as indicated by the dynamics of 12% trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen and acid value. Electronic tongue analysis confirmed a favorable flavor profile，with a 42% reduction in sourness and a 32% enhancement in umami. Notably，the UFAs content in Cheese A was 15.95% higher than that in the conventional mold-fermented cheese （Cheese B）. Furthermore，Cheese A showed a desirable moderate decrease in hardness during ripening，while Cheese B deteriorated due to moisture loss.