Zhao Yajiao, Guo Ye, Zhang Danni, Zhou Quanlong, Feng Xiaoxiao, Liu Yuan
Department of Food Science & Technology, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
College of Food Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.
Foods. 2025 Jun 26;14(13):2270. doi: 10.3390/foods14132270.
Traditional smoking techniques, while historically valued for preservation and flavor enhancement, face limitations in aromatic diversity and safety, prompting exploration of spice-derived alternatives to meet modern culinary demands. This study explores the volatile compound profiles and aroma modulation of chicken wings smoked with four spices-cardamom, rosemary, mint, and rose-using a novel, household-friendly smoking protocol. The method combines air fryer pre-cooking (180 °C, 16 min) with electric griddle-based smoke infusion, followed by HS-SPME/GC-TOF/MS, relative odor activity value (ROAV) calculations, and metabolomic analysis. A total of 314 volatile compounds were identified across five samples. Among them, 45 compounds demonstrated odor activity values (ROAV) ≥ 1, contributing to green, woody, floral, and sweet aroma attributes. Eucalyptol displayed the highest ROAV (2543), underscoring its dominant sensory impact. Metabolomic profiling revealed a general upregulation of differential volatiles post-smoking: terpenes were enriched in wings smoked with cardamom, rosemary, and mint, while aldehydes and alcohols predominated in rose-smoked samples. An integrated screening based on ROAV and metabolomic data identified 24 key volatiles, including eucalyptol, β-myrcene, methanethiol, and α-pinene, which collectively defined the aroma signatures of spice-smoked wings. Spice-specific aroma enrichment and sensory properties were evident: rosemary intensified woody-spicy notes, mint enhanced herbal freshness, and rose amplified floral attributes. The proposed method demonstrated advantages in safety, ease of use, and flavor customization, aligning with clean-label trends and supporting innovation in home-based culinary practices. Moreover, it facilitates the tailored modulation of smoked meat flavor profiles, thereby enhancing product differentiation and broadening consumer acceptance.
传统的烟熏技术虽然在历史上因保存和提升风味而受到重视，但在香气多样性和安全性方面存在局限性，这促使人们探索香料衍生的替代品以满足现代烹饪需求。本研究采用一种新颖的、适合家庭使用的烟熏方案，探索了用四种香料——小豆蔻、迷迭香、薄荷和玫瑰——烟熏鸡翅的挥发性化合物谱和香气调制。该方法将空气炸锅预烹饪（180°C，16分钟）与基于电烤盘的烟熏注入相结合，随后进行顶空固相微萃取/气相色谱-飞行时间质谱分析、相对气味活性值（ROAV）计算和代谢组学分析。在五个样品中总共鉴定出314种挥发性化合物。其中，45种化合物的气味活性值（ROAV）≥1，对绿色、木质、花香和甜味的香气属性有贡献。桉叶素的ROAV最高（2543），突出了其主要的感官影响。代谢组学分析表明，烟熏后差异挥发性物质普遍上调：小豆蔻、迷迭香和薄荷烟熏的鸡翅中萜类物质富集，而玫瑰烟熏的样品中醛类和醇类占主导。基于ROAV和代谢组学数据的综合筛选确定了24种关键挥发性物质，包括桉叶素、β-月桂烯、甲硫醇和α-蒎烯，它们共同定义了香料烟熏鸡翅的香气特征。香料特有的香气富集和感官特性很明显：迷迭香增强了木质香料味，薄荷提升了草本清新度，玫瑰增强了花香属性。所提出的方法在安全性、易用性和风味定制方面表现出优势，符合清洁标签趋势，并支持家庭烹饪实践中的创新。此外，它有助于对烟熏肉风味特征进行定制调制，从而增强产品差异化并扩大消费者接受度。
