Traditional smoking techniques, while historically valued for preservation and flavor enhancement, face limitations in aromatic diversity and safety, prompting exploration of spice-derived alternatives to meet modern culinary demands. This study explores the volatile compound profiles and aroma modulation of chicken wings smoked with four spices—cardamom, rosemary, mint, and rose—using a novel, household-friendly smoking protocol. The method combines air fryer pre-cooking (180 °C, 16 min) with electric griddle-based smoke infusion, followed by HS-SPME/GC-TOF/MS, relative odor activity value (ROAV) calculations, and metabolomic analysis. A total of 314 volatile compounds were identified across five samples. Among them, 45 compounds demonstrated odor activity values (ROAV) ≥ 1, contributing to green, woody, floral, and sweet aroma attributes. Eucalyptol displayed the highest ROAV (2543), underscoring its dominant sensory impact. Metabolomic profiling revealed a general upregulation of differential volatiles post-smoking: terpenes were enriched in wings smoked with cardamom, rosemary, and mint, while aldehydes and alcohols predominated in rose-smoked samples. An integrated screening based on ROAV and metabolomic data identified 24 key volatiles, including eucalyptol, β-myrcene, methanethiol, and α-pinene, which collectively defined the aroma signatures of spice-smoked wings. Spice-specific aroma enrichment and sensory properties were evident: rosemary intensified woody–spicy notes, mint enhanced herbal freshness, and rose amplified floral attributes. The proposed method demonstrated advantages in safety, ease of use, and flavor customization, aligning with clean-label trends and supporting innovation in home-based culinary practices. Moreover, it facilitates the tailored modulation of smoked meat flavor profiles, thereby enhancing product differentiation and broadening consumer acceptance.

To get information on the aroma profiles of both commercial dried red goji berries (Lycium barbarum L.) and black goji berries (Lycium ruthenicum M.), key odor-active compounds in both commercial berries were elucidated. Sensory evaluation revealed similar but weaker aroma profiles in black goji berries. By applying solvent-assisted flavor evaporation, aroma fractionation, aroma extract dilution analysis, and gas chromatography analysis, 45 and 39 odor-active compounds were detected in red and black goji berries, respectively, compared to the authentic references. Acetic acid was the predominant odor-active compound in both berries. Most of the key odor-active compounds were the same in both berries, but their contents were significantly different (p < 0.05). Among these odor-active compounds, 11 compounds were first reported in goji berries. After aroma reconstitution, (E)-β-damascenone, (E)-2-nonenal, and (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, etc. are verified as the key odor-active compounds in red goji berries and responsible for cooked apple-like, green, and fatty, etc. odors. While dried black goji berries displayed a distinct stronger fruity aroma. Most of the key odor-active compounds in both berries were lipid derivatives generated from carotenoids and fatty acids. The results can be applied to the food quality control of commercial goji products.

Alcohol level is a critical quality parameter in Chinese baijiu, significantly influencing its flavor profile, sensory characteristics, and overall quality, which in turn affect consumer preferences and the development of the liquor industry. Understanding the non-volatile compounds in strong-flavor baijiu (SFB) is essential for elucidating its taste and mouthfeel characteristics. This study aims to identify non-volatile compounds using a non-targeted metabolomics approach and investigate the differences between high- and low-alcohol SFB from the Jiangsu region. A total of 647 non-volatile compounds were quantified. The key differential metabolites were screened among different samples. In total, 110 key differential non-volatile compounds were identified and quantified, which displayed significant differences between high- and low-alcohol SFB samples and showed notable similarities in compound types. Furthermore, the variation in non-volatile profiles among samples of the same brand but different alcohol levels was investigated. The different brands and origins of SFB samples were identified using OPLS-DA. The results indicated that the key non-volatile metabolites in most of the high-alcohol samples were higher than those in low-alcohol samples. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of alcohol level on the non-volatile composition of SFB, offering a theoretical foundation for flavor characterization, quality control, and standardization in baijiu production.