Abstract: In order to explore the important role of seasonal temperature in the formation of soy sauce quality, three fermentation temperatures (37, 30 and 15 ℃) were set up to simulate the temperature changes during the four seasons in Guangdong and compared with natural fermentation. During the fermentation process, the dynamic changes of flavor indexes of base soy sauce were measured and sensory evaluation was also carried out to accesses the quality of the product. The results showed that fermentation at 30 ℃ was beneficial for the formation of alcohols, esters and phenols, imparting the highest sensory score and the best overall quality to base soy sauce. Base soy sauce fermented at 37 ℃ had high contents of acid and bitter amino acids and was rich in aldehydes, ketones, furans (ketones) and pyrazines, which formed the basis for soy sauce flavor. Fermentation at 15 ℃ was unfavorable for the formation of acids, bitter amino acids and characteristic flavor compounds in soy sauce, resulting in the lowest sensory score. Moreover, the great temperature changes during natural fermentation were detrimental to the formation of free amino acids and flavor substances. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the production process and quality stability of Cantonese-style high-salt liquid-state soy sauce.

Key words: soy sauce; base soy sauce; temperature-controlled fermentation; physicochemical indexes; flavor