Abstract: This study compared the effects of three different drying methods i.e., natural drying, oven drying and microwave drying on the volatile composition of Liuyang douchi. The volatile components were extracted by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and analyzed by electronic tongue and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that douchi samples obtained by the three drying methods exhibited only slight differences in physicochemical parameters. A total of 31, 33, and 22 volatile components were identified from the naturally dried, oven dried, and microwave dried samples, respectively. The main volatile components of naturally dried douchi were tetramethyl pyrazine (24.10%), ethyl-2-methylbutyrate (19.91%), 2-methyl butyric acid (7.82%), 1-butanol, 3-methyl-acetate (7.65%), and 2,3,5-trimethyl pyrazine (7.53%). The main volatile components of oven dried douchi were acetic acid ethyl ester (3.27%), 2,3-butanediol (4.23%), furfuryl methamphetamine (4.23%), 2-(2-methyl propyl)-3,5,6-trimethyl pyrazine (4.13%), and 3-octanone (4.10%). The main volatile components of microwave dried douchi were 3-methyl butyric acid (27.96%), 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl pyrazine (13.28%), 2-methyl butyric acid (10.55%), benzoyl hydrazine (10.33%), and 2,3,5-trimethyl pyrazine (6.28%). The tastes of the three douchi samples were different, and the naturally dried and oven dried samples had similar taste properties, differing from the microwave dried douchi mainly in terms of the second principal component, umami, bitterness and saltiness.

Key words: Liuyang douchi, natural drying, oven drying, microwave drying, volatile components, electronic tongue