Research on the changes of water-soluble flavor substances in grass carp during steaming

In this study, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-related compounds and free amino acids were determined to study the changes of water-soluble flavor substances in grass carp meat during steaming for 18 min. Sensory assessment, electronic tongue, equivalent umami concentration (EUC) value, and taste active value (TAV) were also performed to obtain the best quality of steamed grass carp meat. The results showed that the flavor presented by nucleotides in three parts meat was better within 9 min. The bitter amino acids in the dorsal meat and red meat significantly decreased at 6 min (101.33 mg/100 g and 44.64 mg/100 g, respectively). From the sensory analysis, EUC value, and TAV, it can be found that the quality of grass carp meat was the best when steamed for 6-9 min. The electronic tongue indicated that the taste differences were significantly between 6 and 9 min. Therefore, this study suggested that grass carp should be eaten during 6-9 min of steaming. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: As the main way of meat processing and eating, heating not only endows the product with good color, but also kill microorganisms and improve the product quality. The reasonable heating will make the protein denaturation of the food, so that the protein digestion and absorption rate can be improved, which is conducive to people to obtain more abundant nutrition. The quality changes of grass carp meat during 18 min of steaming were studied by measuring ATP-related compounds and free amino acids, combining with sensory assessment, electronic tongue analysis, EUC value, and TAV. These results not only provide useful information for the quality control of grass carp in the heating process, but also provide theoretical reference for the improvement of the nutritional value of grass carp. In addition, the mechanism of flavor change in the heating process of grass carp will be further improved, and effective suggestions will be provided for consumers to reasonably eat grass carp.