Characterizing the Volatile Profile and Flavor of Four Kinds of Hotpot Seasonings in China Using HS-GC-MS, HS-GC-IMS, and Sensory Evaluation

Hotpot is a distinctive dish of East Asian cuisine, especially in China. Herein, headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, and sensory evaluation are applied to compare the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of four types of hotpot seasoning oils (HSOs) and establish their characteristic fingerprints. A total of 203 VOCs are detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among them, linalool, anethole, and estragole contribute to the overall aroma of all four HSOs (relative odor activity value >= 0.1). Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) results reveal that 77 VOCs are identified, comprising 19 terpenoids, 18 aldehydes, 14 alcohols, 13 esters, 6 ketones, 3 acids, 2 furans, 1 pyrazine, and 1 sulfide. Meanwhile, principal component analysis demonstrates that GC-IMS is an important tool for the rapid classification of hotpot seasonings. Finally, the sensory evaluation team concludes that the horse fat hotpot seasoning has promising development prospects. This study validates the applicability of GC-IMS and GC-MS for distinguishing VOCs in hotpots, and the findings provide a theoretical basis for flavor differentiation in HSOs.Practical Applications: Horse oil is significantly lower in cholesterol than butter, and thus possesses potential benefits for human health. This study provides a basis to produce horse oil hotpots and a reference for identifying the VOCs in HSOs.