Abstract:
Truffle, as a large edible fungus with a unique flavor, was commonly added as an supplementary ingredient during the stewing of chicken soup. However, its influence on the flavor of chicken soup remains unclear. In this study, truffles were added during the stewing process a ratio of 12.5% (w/w) relative to the mass of the chicken soup, and the contents of amino acids, nucleotides, and volatile flavor compounds in the soup were measured at different stewing times. Combined with electronic tongue, multivariate statistical analysis, and sensory quantitative descriptive analysis, the evolution of flavor profiles in chicken soup with truffle addition over stewing time was revealed. The results indicated that the content of total free amino acids, umami amino acids, and nucleotides increased initially and then decreased with the extension of stewing time. And they reached their peak values at 20 minutes, which were 71.36 mg/g, 13.69 mg/g, and 378.73 mg/g, respectively. Electronic tongue analysis revealed that bitterness, saltiness, and sweetness gradually decreased, while sourness and umami increased during the stewing process. At 20 minutes, the overall taste profile was well-balanced. A total of 75 volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), including 15 terpenes, 18 aldehydes, 14 alcohols, 11 ketones, 8 esters, 6 heterocyclic compounds, and 3 others. According to the relative odor activity value (ROAV), the characteristic flavor compounds in the truffle chicken soup were identified as 1-octen-3-one, (Z)-ocimene,
γ-terpinene, nonanal, octanal, and dimethyl trisulfide. Overall, the truffle chicken soup stewed for 20 minutes exhibited distinct nutty, mushroom, gasoline, and earthy aromas, with a well-balanced taste profile and optimal nutrient retention. This study provides a theoretical basis for the precise processing of edible fungus-meat broth composite systems.