Aroma Components Research Articles

Analysis of Pickled Cucumber Products, Based on Microbial Diversity and Flavor Substance Detection.

Changes to the microbial community during pickled cucumber fermentation were studied using the 16S rDNA technique. The changes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during pickled cucumber fermentation were studied by gas chromatograph-ion mobility spectrometry. At the phylum level, Cyanophyta and Proteobacteria were the dominant flora in the natural fermentation group, and Firmicutes were the dominant flora in the added-bacteria fermentation group. At the generic level, the addition of Lactobacillus led to changes in the community of the bacteria in the added-bacterial fermentation group and decreased the species abundance of other bacteria. In total, 75 volatile organic compounds were identified from naturally fermented pickled cucumber, and 60 volatile organic compounds were identified from fermented pickled cucumber with bacterial addition. The main metabolites were esters, aldehydes, acids, alcohols, ketones, alkanes, nitriles, and alkenes. These metabolites will bring their unique aroma components to the pickled cucumber. Metabolomic analysis of the O2PLS model showed that Weissella and Lactobacillus were closely and positively correlated with nine alcohols, six esters, five aldehydes, four acids, three ketones, and one pyrazine. Pseudomonas and norank_f_Mitochondria show a close positive correlation with four kinds of alcohols, two kinds of esters, one kind of aldehyde, and one kind of nitrile.

Analysis of Volatile Aroma Components in Different Parts of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) Treated with Ultraviolet C Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectroscopy.

Further assessment of ultraviolet C light-emitting diode (UVC-LED) irradiation for influencing shiitake mushrooms' (Lentinus edodes) volatile and sensory properties is needed. In this study, a comparison of UVC-LED irradiation treatment on the flavor profiles in various parts of shiitake mushrooms was conducted using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and sensory analysis. Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified in shiitake mushrooms. The fresh shiitake mushrooms were characterized by the highest values of raw mushroom odors. After UVC-LED treatment, the content of C8 alcohols decreased, especially that of 1-octen-3-ol, while the content of aldehydes increased, especially the content of nonanal and decanal. The score of fatty and green odors was enhanced. For fresh samples, the mushroom odors decreased and the mushroom-like odors weakened more sharply when treated in ethanol suspension than when treated with direct irradiation. The fruit odors were enhanced using direct UVC-LED irradiation for fresh mushroom samples and the onion flavor decreased. As for shiitake mushroom powder in ethanol suspension treated with UVC-LED, the sweaty and almond odor scores decreased and the vitamin D2 content in mushroom caps and stems reached 668.79 μg/g (dw) and 399.45 μg/g (dw), respectively. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that UVC-LED treatment produced rich-flavored, quality mushroom products.

Study on the Effect of Different Concentrations of SO2 on the Volatile Aroma Components of 'Beibinghong' Ice Wine.

SO2 plays an important role in wine fermentation, and its effects on wine aroma are complex and diverse. In order to investigate the effects of different SO2 additions on the fermentation process, quality, and flavor of 'Beibinghong' ice wine, we fermented 'Beibinghong' picked in 2019. We examined the fermentation rate, basic physicochemical properties, and volatile aroma compound concentrations of 'Beibinghong' ice wine under different SO2 additions and constructed a fingerprint of volatile compounds in ice wine. The results showed that 44 typical volatile compounds in 'Beibinghong' ice wine were identified and quantified. The OAV and VIP values were calculated using the threshold values of each volatile compound, and t the effect of SO2 on the volatile compounds of 'Beibinghong' ice wine might be related to five aroma compounds: ethyl butyrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl 3-methyl butyrate-M, ethyl 3-methyl butyrate-D, and 3-methyl butyraldehyde. Tasting of 'Beibinghong' ice wine at different SO2 additions revealed that the overall flavor of 'Beibinghong' ice wine was the highest at an SO2 addition level of 30 mg/L. An SO2 addition level of 30 mg/L was the optimal addition level. The results of this study are of great significance for understanding the effect of SO2 on the fermentation of 'Beibinghong' ice wine.

Critical Review of Selected Analytical Platforms for GC-MS Metabolomics Profiling-Case Study: HS-SPME/GC-MS Analysis of Blackberry's Aroma.

Data processing and data extraction are the first, and most often crucial, steps in metabolomics and multivariate data analysis in general. There are several software solutions for these purposes in GC-MS metabolomics. It becomes unclear which platform offers what kind of data and how that information influences the analysis's conclusions. In this study, selected analytical platforms for GC-MS metabolomics profiling, SpectConnect and XCMS as well as MestReNova software, were used to process the results of the HS-SPME/GC-MS aroma analyses of several blackberry varieties. In addition, a detailed analysis of the identification of the individual components of the blackberry aroma club varieties was performed. In total, 72 components were detected in the XCMS platform, 119 in SpectConnect, and 87 and 167 in MestReNova, with automatic integral and manual correction, respectively, as well as 219 aroma components after manual analysis of GC-MS chromatograms. The obtained datasets were fed, for multivariate data analysis, to SIMCA software, and underwent the creation of PCA, OPLS, and OPLS-DA models. The results of the validation tests and VIP-pred. scores were analyzed in detail.

Sensory Impact of Novel Dihydrocoumarins in Native Lime Oils.

Citrus fruits have been known and valued for their aroma in food and perfume ever since humans have maintained written records. Often described as the "champagne" of citrus oils, especially cold pressed lime peel oils have raised attention. Particularly peel oils of Citrus latifolia exhibit a pleasant coumarinic, sweet, and balsamic aroma in comparison to its close relative, the Citrus aurantifolia. Those coumarinic notes have not been completely understood until today. Thus, this study aimed to identify the responsible substances and elucidate their contribution and impact on the aroma of cold-pressed lime oil. By combining distillation, fractionation, olfactory detection, and structure elucidation, the responsible key aroma components were identified. A combination of coumarins and their corresponding saturated analogs have been identified to significantly contribute to the typical coumarinic-like aroma, including three new flavor compounds that have not yet been described in the literature as lime oil constituents: 7-methoxy-2-chromanone (3,4-dihydro-7-methoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one; CAS 20921-02-2), 5,7-dimethoxy-2-chromanone (3,4-dihydro-5,7-dimethoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one; CAS 82243-01-4) and 5,6-dihydrobergaptene (5,6-dihydro-4-methoxy-7H-furo[3,2-g][1]benzopyran-7-one; CAS 29050-61-1). The sensorial evaluation of the impact of these components on the lime aroma profile has shown flavor-modulating effects and the ability to enhance aldehydic-peely, juicy, and fruity notes as well as their importance in reproducing the authentic, typical coumarin-like notes.

Effects of Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Co-Fermentation on the Physicochemical and Flavor Compounds of Huaniu Apple Cider.

The effects of different fermentation methods utilizing Torulaspora delbrueckii 1004 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 32169 on the physicochemical properties, organic acid content, polyphenol and flavonoid concentrations, antioxidant activity, and volatile aroma compounds of Huaniu apple cider were investigated in this study. Employing methods of single inoculation, co-inoculation, and sequential inoculation, it was found that sequential fermentation exhibited strong fermentative power in the initial stages, effectively reducing the content of soluble solids and achieving a balanced composition of malic, succinic, and citric acids while maintaining a lower titratable acidity. Sequential inoculation was observed to significantly enhance the total polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as the antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). Specifically, in the synthesis of volatile aroma compounds, sequential inoculation significantly enhanced the richness and diversity of the Huaniu apple cider's aromas, particularly in terms of the concentration of ester compounds (p < 0.05). Principal component analysis further confirmed the superiority of sequential inoculation in terms of aroma component diversity and richness. The findings of this study suggest that sequential inoculation of fermentation with non-Saccharomyces and S. cerevisiae is an effective strategy for optimizing the flavor characteristics of Huaniu apple cider, offering valuable theoretical support and practical guidance for enhancing cider quality and fostering the development of new products.

Mixed processing improved the theaflavin, theanine and aroma components of Congou black tea

SummaryCongou black tea is mainly processed from single variety leaves, with obvious variety characteristics. This study investigated the effects of mixed processing withered leaves varieties on sensory quality, the volatile and non‐volatile compounds of seven Congou black tea samples. Sensory quality evaluation revealed that the Congou black tea with three leaves varieties were fresher, more floral and had coordinate taste. The total quality score was in the order: MPH &gt; H &gt; M&amp;H &gt; M &gt; M&amp;P &gt; H&amp;P &gt; P. However, samples MPH and M&amp;H have a higher content of theaflavins and amino acids, especially theanine. Furthermore, 130 volatile substances were identified in seven black teas by using HS‐SPME/GC–MS. M&amp;H and MPH have more aroma types and total amount than that of M, P and H. The mixed processing of withered leaves may fully use the catalysis of endogenous enzymes to increase the 19 kinds of black tea key aromas including Benzyl alcohol, trans‐2‐hexenyl hexanoate, Hexyl hexanoate and Methyl jasmonate. Thus, blended processing can enhance the taste, aroma and LC quality of black tea.

Impact of different drying methods on physicochemical characteristics and nutritional compositions of bee larvae

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of three distinct drying methods, namely hot air drying (HAD), microwave oven drying (MD), and vacuum freeze drying (VFD), applied to bee larvae. Through rigorous experimentation and analysis, we evaluated various parameters, including moisture content, color, fat, protein, fatty acid composition, aroma components, and protein secondary structure. Our findings reveal distinctive characteristics of bee larvae aroma, notably including E-2-curenal, palmitic acid and 10-undecenal, with palmitic, linolenic, and oleic acids being the dominant fatty acids. Among the drying methods, MD at 10 W/g demonstrated significantly higher levels of volatile components. Noteworthy, VFD-assisted drying closely resembled the composition of fresh bee larvae, with fat and protein contents of 26% and 57%, respectively. Analysis of protein secondary structure unveiled that MD at 10 W/g exhibited the highest β-folding content, 80%, followed closely by VFD at 45 °C, 73%. Remarkably, VFD at 45 °C exhibited as the superior method, yielding dried bee larvae of unparalleled quality among the three techniques investigated. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of different drying methods on the composition and quality of bee larvae, offering significant implications for the processing, preservation and utilization of this valuable resource.

Analysis of tea quality of large-leaf black tea with different harvesting tenderness based on metabolomics

The harvesting tenderness of tea fresh leaves has a significant effect on the flavor and aroma quality of black tea (BT), which is one of the important standards for BT grading. In this study, sensory evaluation, electronic tongue technique and metabolomics were performed to evaluate the flavor and aroma qualities of three different tenderness of large-leaf BTs that were manufactured from the fresh leaves of single-bud, one-bud and one-bud two-leaf teas, respectively. The results of the electronic tongue and sensory evaluation indicated that the increase in the tenderness of the fresh leaf material enhanced the sweetness, freshness and fruity flavor of the tea and reduced the bitterness of the tea. A total of 519 differential flavor components and 84 differential aroma components were identified by metabolomics. Among them, elevated levels of maltitol, cyclic leucine and l-methionine and l-aspartic acid led to elevated sweetness and freshness in more tender tea leaves. Reduced levels of 4-aminosalicylic acid, tyrosol, uracil, inosine, benzamide, and l-tyrosine led to reduced bitterness in BT. Moreover, the content of volatiles such as (Z)-2-Decenal, Phenylacetic acid propyl ester, Acetophenone, and 2-phenylethyl ester were increased, which contributed to the fruity aroma in the high-tenderness tea. This study provides a theoretical basis for grading the flavor quality of BT with different tenderness.

A Novel Strategy for Mixed Jam Evaluation: Apparent Indicator, Sensory, Metabolomic, and GC-IMS Analysis.

Jam is a popular traditional and modern food product for daily consumption. However, the benefits of mixed jams over single-fruit jams have not been thoroughly explored, with analyses limited to superficial indices. In this study, Xinjiang special Morus nigra L. and Prunus domestica L. were used as raw materials to prepare single-fruit and mixed jams, and their differences in antioxidants, organoleptic qualities, pH, texture, and color were analyzed. The dynamics of metabolites before and after thermal processing were assessed using untargeted metabolomics. The results indicate that the main metabolites were flavonoids, terpenoids, amino acids, phenolic acids, and carbohydrates. Flavonoid metabolites changed significantly after thermal processing, with 40 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated. During storage, polyphenols were the prominent differential metabolites, with fifty-four down-regulated and one up-regulated. Volatile aroma components were analyzed using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS); the aroma components E-2-hexenal, E-2-pentenal, 3-methylbutanal, 1-penten-3-ol, tetrahydro-linalool, 1-penten-3-one, hexyl propionate, isoamyl acetate, α-pinene, and propionic acid in mixed jam were significantly higher than in single-fruit jam. In this study, untargeted metabolomics and GC-IMS were used to provide a more comprehensive and in-depth evaluation system for jam analysis.

Combination of pure oxygen pretreatment and near‐freezing temperature storage inhibits browning, maintains antioxidant and physicochemical quality of fresh‐cut nectarines

AbstractFresh‐cut fruits were convenient for consumers but vulnerable to quality deterioration, including browning, softening, and volatile aroma loss. In this study, the whole nectarines were pretreated with 100% O2 (pure oxygen, PO) for 2 h and stored at near‐freezing temperature (NFT, −1.5 ± 0.1°C) for 9 days after cutting. We investigated the changes of samples in browning degree, enzyme activity, cell membrane permeability, antioxidant activity, and aroma components. Specifically, PO pretreatment increased the peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) activities, which endows the whole nectarines with resistance to environmental stresses before fresh‐cut. NFT storage effectively inhibited the activity of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and the increase of the total phenolic content (TPC). Higher antioxidant levels and anti‐browning effects were observed in fresh‐cut nectarines treated with PO + NFT, which demonstrated by higher levels of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity, ferricion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and enzyme activity ratios (ratio 1 and ratio 2). During the storage of 9 days, the firmness and membrane permeability were preserved, malondialdehyde (MDA) content was suppressed, which delayed the softening of nectarine tissue. Furthermore, soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acid (TA) were also well preserved by PO + NFT, which maintained the physiological and metabolic qualities. Electronic nose tests revealed that PO + NFT postponed the volatile aroma deterioration. In conclusion, PO + NFT effectively maintains the storage quality of fresh‐cut nectarines.

Effects of hypothermia–hypoxia pulping, high hydrostatic pressure processing, and repeat freeze–thaw cycles on the quality of raw kiwifruit puree

AbstractThis study evaluated the effects of the whole process of non‐thermal processing (hypothermia–hypoxia pulping and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pasteurization), different freezing methods, and repeat freeze–thaw cycles on physicochemical and nutritional quality of kiwifruit puree. Results showed that hypothermia–hypoxia treatment can retain the vitamin C, total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity of the puree better. Different pasteurization treatments can effectively kill microorganisms and improve the total phenol content and antioxidant capacity of the raw puree. Compared with thermal treatment, HHP can better retain the color, viscosity, and aroma components of the raw puree. The freezing methods have little impact on the quality of the raw puree, but peroxidase enzyme activity after quick freezing was significantly higher than that of slow freezing. Different freeze–thaw treatments had adverse effects on the quality of kiwifruit, and the damage of 25°C thawing conditions was more serious than that of 4°C thawing conditions. This research would provide new ideas for the production and storage of high‐quality kiwifruit puree and potential technical support for kiwifruit puree commercial production.Practical ApplicationsThe results of this study showed that non‐thermal processing can maintain the quality of kiwifruit puree better than traditional thermal processing, which provides a new idea for the production of high‐quality kiwifruit puree. In addition, this study suggests that temperature fluctuations should be minimized during storage to better maintain kiwifruit quality. This will provide potential technical support for the commercialization of kiwifruit puree.

Effect of osmotic dehydration combined with vacuum freeze-drying treatment on characteristic aroma components of peach slices

Hot air drying (HD), vacuum freeze drying (FD), and pilot-scale freeze drying (PSFD) are extensively used to prepare peach slices. However, the aroma of hot air drying and vacuum freeze-drying is yet to be addressed. In this study, HS-SPME-GC–MS was used to characterize and quantify the volatile compounds in peach slices. First, 33, 36, and 46 volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the HD, FD, and PSFD groups, respectively. PSFD is preferable to HD and FD in terms of the volatile compound types, content, and aroma profiles. PSFD was selected for subsequent permeation and dehydration experiments. The key aroma compounds with an OAV ≥ 1 were found in the PSFD30 group. GC-O analysis was conducted on the PSFD30 group, leading to the preliminary identification of 2-methylbutanal, pentanal, hexanal, 2-hexenal, phenylacetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, ethyl lactate, linalool, methyl heptenone, and γ-octalactone as distinctive aromas in dried peach slices.

Identification and variation analysis of the composition and content of essential oil and fragrance compounds in Phoebe zhennan wood at different tree ages.

Wood essential oil and wood products with special fragrances are high value-added forest products. Despite the availability of essential oil and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Phoebe zhennan wood, their variation and dependence on tree age have not been examined. After essential oil extraction and wood processing, the yields and compositions of essential oils and VOCs in wood from P. zhennan trees of different ages (10a, 30a, and 80a) were determined. The yield of essential oil from 30a wood was significantly greater than that from 10a and 80a wood. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed 672 and 41 volatile compounds, respectively, in the essential oil and wood, the majority of which exhibited large fluctuations in relative content and composition depending on tree age. Sesquiterpenoids, fatty acids and conjugates may greatly contribute to the main components of essential oil from wood. Almost all major sesquiterpenoid compounds, such as caryophyllene α-oxide, eudesmo, and cubebene, were identified in the essential oils from the 30a and 80a wood, and their relative contents were much greater than those in the 10a wood. The main components of the wood fragrance were sesquiterpenoids. The types and relative contents of sesquiterpenoids from wood increased with tree age. These results suggest that choosing wood from trees of a suitable age will significantly improve the efficiency of wood utilization.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria exposed to extreme conditions on yoghurt quality

In this study, two bacterial strains used in the production of yoghurt were subjected to three distinct stress conditions (low pressure, infrared light, and low pressure + infrared light) and then used as starter cultures for yoghurt production. The obtained results revealed that the bacterial stress response mechanisms, especially those of bacteria exposed to low pressure, positively affected the physicochemical, textural, and microbiological quality during storage of yoghurts produced with these bacteria. In addition, it was found that prolonging the exposure time to stress conditions increased this effect even more. The samples subjected to low pressure for 2 hours had the shortest fermentation time among all samples, while the samples subjected to infrared light for 2 hours had the longest fermentation time. Yoghurts produced with bacteria subjected to low pressure conditions had more organic acids and aroma components and less syneresis during storage compared to other samples. Furthermore, it was determined that yoghurt samples produced with bacteria exposed to stress conditions had higher L* and a* values, lower b* values, improved textural values, and higher bacterial counts during the 7-day storage period compared to control samples.

The aroma profile of butter produced using different starter cultures

The aroma of fermented dairy products is greatly influenced by starter cultures and by the lactic acid bacteria strains that are used as starter cultures. Experimental butter samples were produced using no starter culture, by a commercial starter culture (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides), by a prepared bacteria mix (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis EM1, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris EM28, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis G49, Leuconostoc mesenteroides B3), and by a prepared bacteria mix fortified with Lactobacillus rhamnosus B19 (L. rhamnosus B19). The aroma profile of the butter samples was investigated using a gas chromatography mass spectometry method (GC-MS). A total of 92 components were determined in the butter samples, including acids (12), alcohols (20), aldehydes (9), alkanes (6), esters (8), ketones (19) and several other aroma compounds (18). The sample containing the prepared starter culture had the most detectable aroma components, while the lowest number of aromatic components were found in the sample without a starter culture. 2,3-butanedione (diacetyl) was not detected in the sample without a starter culture. 2-Butanone 3-hydroxy- (acetoin) content was the highest in the sample containing the commercial starter culture and the lowest in the sample without a starter culture.

Appearance quality, nutritional value, and aroma components of wild diguo (Ficus tikoua Bur.) fruit collected from southwest China.

Diguo (Ficus tikoua Bur.), an ancient wild fruit, is widely spread in southwest China. However, there is little information on the phenotypic traits, quality characteristics, and aroma compounds available to diguo fruit. The present study is an investigation into the effects of geographical origin on the phenotypic traits and quality characteristics of wild diguo fruit collected from southwest China. The volatile compounds in the mixed fruit samples were also investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results indicated that significant variation existed among the sampling materials in all the phenotypic parameters. Fruit fresh weight ranged between 2.06 and 4.59 g. Moreover, significant variation existed among the selected materials in all macronutrients (dry matter, total soluble solids, crude protein, crude fat, and ash) and some nutritional parameters (glutamate, arginine, total soluble solids, maltose, and mannose, etc.). Regardless of their geographical origin, diguo fruit is relatively low in fat and fructose and high in fiber and glutamate. A total of 95 volatile constituents were identified in the frozen diguo fruit. In conclusion, diguo fruit with rich nutritional attributes has a promising future for commercial-scale production. The variability of the observed morphological and nutritional features of diguo fruit provides important characteristics for improving the breeding of diguo as a modern fruit crop.

Replacing syngas by formic acid and acetic anhydride with advantages: tandem carbonylation of renewable terpenes and propenylbenzenes

The introduction of aldehyde and acetate functionalities in renewable terpenes and propenylbezenes provides useful feedstocks for fine chemicals, especially in the flavor and fragrance segment. Herein we report the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation and the tandem hydroformylation/hydrogenation/O-acylation of biomass based propenylbenzenes and terpenes with a mixture of formic acid (FA) and acetic anhydride (Ac2O) as a cheaper and less dangerous alternative for flammable and toxic syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen mixture) used in the conventional hydroformylation. In addition, we were able to perform the consecutive aldehyde hydrogenation, followed by O-acetylation, formally adding a methyl acetate molecule in a C-C double bond in a tandem process, which was not feasible with the conventional hydroformylation. For propenylbenzenes containing a phenol moiety, the parallel acetoxylation of this group also took place. The protocol allowed to obtain aldehydes and mono- or diacetate esters, which are potentially valuable as fragrance components.

Dealcoholized Wine: A Scoping Review of Volatile and Non-Volatile Profiles, Consumer Perception, and Health Benefits

AbstractThe dealcoholization technique has gained more attention in the wine industry as it can significantly influence wine compositions and quality beyond alcohol level reduction. However, the changes occurring in the various processes of dealcoholization are not fully understood yet. This work summarizes the literature published in the last 10 years (2013–2023) about changes in color, sulfur dioxide (SO2), phenolic composition, losses of desirable volatile aroma compounds, and sensory characteristics of wine after the removal of ethanol by different processes/techniques. Several factors can influence the final characteristics of wine during the process, including physico-chemical parameters such as the initial alcohol level, the retention properties of the wine non-volatile matrix, and the characteristics of aroma components. Additionally, the quality of dealcoholized wine can be affected by the choice of dealcoholization techniques, distillation temperature, operating pressure, and membrane properties, including filtration and pore size. Low- and zero-alcohol products have the potential to expand the market and cater to diverse consumer segments. This comprehensive review would help winemakers in choosing the best techniques to produce dealcoholized wine, limiting the adverse effects, and meeting the needs of consumers.

Aroma Characteristics of Green Huajiao in Sichuan and Chongqing Area Using Sensory Analysis Combined with GC-MS.

Green huajiao has a unique flavor and is widely used in cooking as an edible spice. In this study, the intensity of overall aroma and aroma attributes of seven green huajiao samples from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions were evaluated using a dynamic dilution olfactometer and ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) technology. The volatile compounds and major aroma components were determined by GC-MS in combination with odor activity value (OAV) analysis. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was further used to identify the key aromas contributing to the aroma sensory attributes. Seven green huajiao samples were categorized into three groups: (1) huajiao samples from Liangshan have a strong intensity of pungent, floral and herbal aromas and a medium-high intensity of sweet aroma, and the key contributing aroma compounds were α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, myrcene, ocimene and linalool; (2) huajiao samples from Panzhihua and Hongya have a strong intensity of citrusy, lemony and minty aromas, and the key contributing aroma compound was linalool; and (3) the huajiao sample from the Chongqing region was categorized into a separate group and was characterized by a medium-high intensity of green, minty and sweet aromas, and the main aroma compounds are ocimene, citronellal and α-terpineol. These results provide useful basic data for evaluating the aroma quality and analyzing the key aroma characteristics of green huajiao in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions.