Optimization of the cooking methods of stir‐fried beef by instrumental analysis

Effect of Welsh Onion on Taste Components and Sensory Characteristics of Porcine Bone Soup

To investigate the effect of welsh onion on taste components and sensory characteristics in porcine bone soup, the stewing condition was as follows: the material–liquid ratio (m/V) was 1:1, the stewing time was 5.0 h, and the ratio of welsh onion was 2.5%. Then, the content of taste components was measured. The content of free amino acids in porcine bone soup with welsh onion (PWS) was higher than the sum of welsh onion soup (WS) and porcine bone soup (PS); particularly, the umami amino acids increased by 35.73% compared with PS. Significant increases in four organic acids (lactic acid, pyroglutamic acid, citric acid and ascorbic acid), two 5′-nucleotides (5′-AMP and 5′-GMP) and three mineral elements (K, Ca and Mg) were observed in PWS. Compared with PS, the equivalent umami concentration (EUC) value was increased from 79.09 to 106.47 mg MSG/100 g in PWS, which was due to the high content of umami amino acids and the synergistic effect with 5′-nucleotides. The results of the sensory analysis indicated a certain enhancement of umami taste in PWS, and the sweet and salty tastes were also increased with the addition of welsh onion. The correlation analysis was consistent with the variation of the components tested above.

Effect of Ginger on Chemical Composition, Physical and Sensory Characteristics of Chicken Soup

In order to investigate the effect of ginger on taste components and sensory characteristics in chicken soup, the content of amino acids, organic acids, 5′-nucleotides, and mineral elements were determined in chicken soup sample. With the ginger added, free amino acids in chicken soup obviously increased and exceeded the total amounts in ginger soup and chicken soup. The content of glutamic acid (122.74 μg/mL) was the highest among 17 free amino acids in ginger chicken soup. Meanwhile, six organic acids detected in chicken soup all obviously increased, among which lactic acid (1523.58 μg/mL) and critic acid (4692.41 μg/mL) exceeded 1000 μg/mL. The content of 5′-nucleotides had no obvious difference between ginger chicken soup and chicken soup. Compared with chicken soup, ginger chicken soup had a smaller particle size (136.43 nm) and color difference (79.69), but a higher viscosity. With ginger added in chicken soup, the content of seven mineral elements was reduced, and the content of total sugar increased. Results from an electronic tongue indicated a difference in taste profiles among the soups. The taste components and sensory quality of chicken soup were obviously affected by adding the ginger.

Characterization of the taste compounds in 20 pungent spices by high-performance liquid chromatography

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the important taste compounds in 20 pungent spices commonly used in food, including seventeen free amino acids, four 5′-nucleotides and twelve organic acids. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) and taste activity value (TAV) of the analyzed samples were calculated. The results showed that the content of total free amino acids ranged from 0.57 to 46.67 g/kg in 20 pungent spices. The content of total free amino acids in horseradish was the highest. The content of total 5′-nucleotides ranged from 0.80 to 4.30 g/kg, and chive contains the highest 5′-nucleotide content. Inosine 5′-monophosphate was detected in all 20 pungent spices. The content of total organic acids ranged from 9.37 to 339.58 g/kg. The total organic acids content of fieldmint was the highest (339.58 g/kg). Oxalic acid was detected in 18 pungent spices, except white pepper and chilli. The EUC of fieldmint (37.1 g MSG/100 g) was the highest in all 20 pungent spices, followed with peppermint (24.5 g MSG/100 g), and horseradish (18.4 g MSG/100 g). The TAVs of malic acid, lactic acid and 5′-AMP were higher than 1 in more than 10 spices. Lactic acid were higher than 1 in 13 spices, implying these compounds contributed greater to the flavor of pungent spices. The results of this work will provide references for the application value of pungent spices.

Determination of free amino acids, organic acids, and nucleotides in 29 elegant spices

Spices can be used in cooking to enhance the flavor of food. In order to systematically summarize and discuss the flavor components of 29 elegant spices, the free amino acids, nucleotides, and organic acids in these spices were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Cluster analysis was carried out to classify the 29 elegant spices based on similar data. The results showed considerable variations in the total free amino acids (1.12‒31.59 g/kg), organic acids (9.63‒71.90 g/kg), and nucleotides (0.03‒2.72 g/kg) in the elegant spices. Nine of the amino acids, especially glutamic acid and arginine, were found to have a taste active value (TAV) greater than 1. The TAVs of the 5'-nucleotides, succinic acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid were all >1. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) of sweet marjoram was 83.69 g MSG/100 g. The 29 elegant spices were divided into two categories according to cluster analysis of the EUC. Oregano fell into one category, and the remaining 28 spices fell into the other category.