Characterization of Key Odorants and Their Content Variation in Sichuan Hotpot Oil With Different Chili Pepper Cultivars by Means of Molecular Sensory Science

In this study, the molecular sensory science method was used to characterize the key odorants in three kinds of Sichuan hotpot oil via HS‐SPME and GC–MS methods. Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), odor activity value (OAV), and aroma recombination were conducted to further analyze its characteristic odor. The AEDA results showed that 26 aroma‐active compounds with higher flavor dilution (FD) values were discovered, while 13 key aroma‐active compounds were identified with OAVs of more than 1. Among them, the main aroma compounds common in the three kinds of Sichuan hotpot oil included nonanal, ( E )‐2‐octenal, ( E )‐2‐nonenal, ( E )‐2‐decenal, ( E , E )‐2,4‐decadienal, and acetic acid. It was worth noting that trans‐β‐inonone, furaneol, and caryophyllene were determined as the special aroma compounds in Xinyidai (XYD) hotpot oil, while 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural was determined in Tianyingjiao (TYJ) hotpot oil. The aroma recombination model resulted in mixed key odorants with OAV ≥ 1, showing excellent sensory acceptability with that of the original sample.