Volatile compounds contributing to the aroma of Chaihui-roasted paprika: A substance basis study

In this study, the flavour profiles of paprika samples processed by wood ash processing (WAF), traditional processing (TSF), and direct crushing (DSM) were analysed. For this purpose, sensory evaluation, e-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS analyzes were employed. The results revealed that the paprika from the WAF group was more caramelized than that from the other groups. The DSM group could be effectively distinguished from the other two groups by an e-nose and sensory evaluation. HS-SPME-GC-MS revealed that terpenoids, esters, and heterocyclic compounds (55.16 %) are the main volatile aroma compounds of paprika. A total of 146 key aroma substances were screened and identified. Seven substances had the highest ROAVs. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to distinguish paprika samples processed via the different methods. This study demonstrated that paprika prepared by WAF yielded stronger, more robust aromas than paprika prepared by the other methods.