Abstract: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used in this study to detect the volatile substances of several formulations of Xinjiang spicy chicken seasoning with different proportions of Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) oil, chili oil and chicken broth. Meanwhile, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) in terms of six sensory attributes namely, chicken-like flavor, sourness, slight numbing sensation, spiciness, kokumi and degree of simulation (DS) was performed on these formulations. It was shown that adding Sichuan pepper oil, chili oil and chicken broth had significant effects on the contents of flavor components. The QDA results indicated that Sichuan pepper oil had a greater contribution to the overall flavor than the other ingredients. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis revealed that sabinene, myrcene, cinene and linalool had a significantly positive correlation with the DS and numbing flavor, terpinolene, 1-octen-3-ol, pentanal, furfural and 2-acetylpyrrole were significantly correlated with the spiciness, and 2-pinene, terpinolene, 1-octen-3-ol, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, carvone and piperiton were significantly correlated with the chicken-like flavor.

Key words: Xinjiang spicy chicken seasoning, quantitative descriptive analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, partial least squares regression, flavor quality