Abstract: In order to comparatively analyze the taste compounds and taste characteristics in shiitake mushroom soup and enzymatic hydrolysate, free amino acids and MSG-like components (5’-nucleotides and free amino acids) of shiitake mushroom soup, enzymatic hydrolysate and rehydration liquid were analyzed by an automatic amino acid analyzer and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) was calculated with the classical formula. The freshness was evaluated and taste profile was analyzed by electronic tongue. The results indicated that the total content of amino acids in the enzymatic hydrolysate was highest (3 453.98 μg/g), and the ratio of flavor amino acids to total amino acids was similar among the three samples investigated with bitter amino acids being at higher levels. Shiitake mushroom soup contained the highest level of 5’-GMP (967.84 μg/g) while the content of 5’-AMP was the highest in the enzymatic hydrolysate and the rehydration liquid. The EUC of the enzymatic hydrolysate was highest (30.54 g MSG/100 g), suggesting the strongest umami taste. Using electronic tongue and principal component analysis (PCA), the taste of shiitake mushroom soup, enzymatic hydrolysate and rehydration liquid were significantly different from each other with a discrimination index (DI) of 94.

Key words: shiitake mushroom soup, enzymatic hydrolysate, free amino acids, 5’-nucleotides, equivalent umami concentration, sensory evaluation, electronic tongue