The main skeleton aroma active compounds and sensory characteristics of Chinese geographical indication product: Shanxi aged vinegar

Cereal vinegars constitute a distinctive category across different vinegar varieties in the world. Among them, Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV) is characterized by distinct flavor and sensory profiles. This study aimed to explore the main skeleton aroma-active compounds (AAC) and sensory profiles of SAV. Similar aroma profiles of most SAV samples exhibited by E -nose and GC–MS. A total of 196 volatile compounds were identified in SAV. Among these, 46 compounds were designated as key AACs (odor activity value (OAV) ≥ 1). 35 compounds were identified as main skeleton AACs by multiple statistical analysis. Aldehydes and sulfur-compounds dominated the key AACs, with high OAVs for 3-methyl-butanal and methionol. The sensory wheel and main skeleton AACs of SAV were first assessed using check-all-that-apply (CATA) and OAV. The correlation between key AACs and sensory properties was analyzed, revealing that most of these compounds exert a significant influence on the sensory attributes of the vinegar.