Volatile flavour components of cooked potato

Extracts of the steam volatiles of cooked potatoes and of a dehydrated, granular potato product have been prepared. High‐boiling fatty acids preponderated and were removed prior to concentration and examination of the resulting essences by combined gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry‐odour assessment. Thirty‐five components were identified in potato essences and 20 in a potato granule essence. Chemical and retention data indicated that 2‐methoxy‐3‐ethylpyrazine For clarity in this paper, the methoxy substituent is assigned the 2‐position in pyrazines, and is written first, irrespective of the rules of nomenclature. was present in potato volatiles and mass spectral evidence was obtained of its presence in potato sprout essence. Synthetic work confirmed the known characteristic raw potato odour of 2‐methoxy‐3‐ethylpyrazine and demonstrated that isomers do not possess it. Lack of volatiles rather than off‐flavour is believed to account for the differences between the flavour of cooked potatoes and of the potato product examined.