Characterization of the Key Aroma Compounds in Chicken Soup Stock Using Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis

Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) was performed on an extract prepared from chicken soup stock and 9 aroma-active compounds were selected. On the basis of high flavor dilution (FD) factors in combination with the results of the identification experiments, methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-4-methylthiazole, 3-(methylthio)propanal, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal were suggested as primary aroma compounds of chicken soup stock. Recombination and omission experiments of the identified aroma-active compounds in taste-reconstituted chicken soup stock revealed the main flavor profile of each compound as "roast", "roast meaty", "boiled meaty", and "fatty", respectively. A comparison of the overall flavor of the recombined mixture and the chicken soup stock revealed a high similarity, suggesting that these four compounds are important contributors to the aroma of chicken soup stock.