Sensory Profiling and Key Aromas Characteristics of Fried <i>Zanthoxylum bungeanum</i>Oils from Different Regions

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Chinese pepper) oil has the most flavor characteristics of the pepper material, and Chinese pepper oil (PO) in different production regions has a different flavor profile. Five kinds of PO products produced from pepper materials in different production regions were collected, and the key aroma-active compounds and aroma sensory characteristics were analyzed using gas chromatography olfactometry mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS) combined with descriptive sensory aroma evaluation. The flavor analysis revealed that Hanyuan PO and Wudu PO had strong citrus-like and floral attributes, Hancheng PO and Shexian PO had minty, rosin, herbal, and spicy notes, while Linxia PO showed the weakest minty and herbal attributes. A total of 20 aroma-active compounds were identified using aroma extract dilution analysis, and partial least-squares regression was used to reveal the key aroma-active compounds that contributed strongly to the sensory aroma profiles of each PO product. The high levels of hydrocarbons and 1,8-cineole contributed to the rosin, spicy, minty, and herbal notes of HCPO and SXPO, while the high levels of linalyl acetate and limonene contributed to the floral attributes of HYPO and WDPO. This approach could find practical application in characterizing the flavor profile of commercial PO products in different regions.