The Impact of Different Cooking Methods on the Flavor Profile of Fermented Chinese Spicy Cabbage

Abstract

Chinese spicy cabbage (CSC) is a common traditional fermented vegetable mainly made of Chinese cabbage. In addition to eating raw, boiling and stir-frying are the most common cooking methods for CSC. To identify the impacts of boiling or stir-frying on the quality of CSC, the physicochemical properties, flavor compounds, and sensory properties of CSC were analyzed. A total of 47 volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) were detected by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Sulfide was determined as the main flavor compound of CSC, mainly contributed by cabbage, garlic, and onion odors. The content of sulfide decreased significantly after cooking. Nonanal, geranyl acetate, and linalool were newly generated after boiling with odor activity value (OAV) > 1, and contributed fatty, sweet, fruity, and floral odors to BL-CSC. 1-Octen-3-one, 1-octen-3-ol, octanal, nonanal, and (E)-2-nonenal were newly generated after stir-frying with OAV > 1, and contributed mushroom, fatty, and green odors to SF-CSC. Diallyl trisulfide, nonanal, (E)-β-ionone, β-sesquiphellandrene, and (E)-2-decenal were considered as the potential key aroma compounds (KACs) to distinguish the CSCs after different heat treatment. After cooking, the total titratable acidity of CSC increased and the sensory properties changed significantly. This study provides valuable information and guidance on the sensory and flavor changes of thermal processing fermented vegetables.

The Influence of Fermentation Vessels on Yeast Microbiota and Main Parameters of Sauerkraut

“…In the first case, it could be related to the different content of volatile compounds formed during fermentation. According to Li et al [55], sulfur components that are formed from the decomposition of glycosinolates, such as allyl methyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, may be responsible for the pungent aroma. The greater sensation of sweet taste in sauerkraut obtained in glass jars could have been due to the almost three times higher concentration of sugars in the fermented vegetable (Table 3), mostly glucose.…”