Abstract: Chinese Baijiu is a characteristic and tradition of the Chinese nation. There is a wide variety of Baijiu types with distinct styles. An important aspect of studies on Baijiu modernization is to deeply explore and clarify the difference in the quality and style of various types of Baijiu. The quality and style of Baijiu are mainly determined by a variety of micro components that are rich in Baijiu, including organic acids, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, pyrazines, terpenes, nucleosides, lipopeptides and other substances. Many of them are beneficial to Baijiu flavor and human health, but we need to face up to the low contents of beneficial micro components and the existence of harmful substances. There are many methods available to improve the contents of beneficial micro components and the quality of Baijiu, such as using functional microorganisms and strengthening the starter culture Daqu. This paper reviews the micro components in Chinese Baijiu and summarizes recent progress in research on the major micro components. Meanwhile, new perspectives for future studies are presented, aiming at providing a reference for research in this field.

Key words: Baijiu, micro components, pyrazine, terpene, functional microorganisms, strengthened Daqu