Abstract: In order to prepare the Maillard peptides of the sunflower seed protein with higher umami, the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions of sunflower seed protein were optimized using the sunflower seed protein as raw material, and electronic tongue, sensory score, soluble nitrogen and hydrolysis degree as indicators, while the single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were used to optimize the process conditions for preparing the umami peptides of sunflower seed protein using brown degree, color difference, amino nitrogen, electronic tongue and sensory score as indicators. The results showed that the electronic tongue score and sensory score of hydrolysate prepared was high using alkaline protease and flavor protease step-by-step enzymolysis, at 8% of substrate concentration, 5000 U/g of the amount of enzyme addition, and 1:2 of alkaline protease and flavor protease (enzyme activity ratio), with the enzymolysis of alkaline protease at 40 ℃ for 3 h, and the enzymolysis of flavor enzyme at 50 ℃ for 1 h. The prepared umami peptides of sunflower seed protein had the highest electronic tongue score and umami amino acid content with 1.0% of xylose addition, initial pH7.0, at the Maillard reaction of 120 ℃ for 60 min. The molecular weight distribution in the umami peptides of sunflower seed protein before and after Maillard reaction was measured, which found that 500~1000 Da might be the main active peptides segment in the Maillard reaction.