The objective of this study was to assess and compare the characteristics of different soybean pastes by using intelligent sensory analysis. In this study, color, flavor, texture, and taste were regarded as four factors affecting the sensory quality of soybean pastes and the sensory quality of four different soybean pastes was evaluated using fuzzy mathematics. The sensory evaluation scores of samples L, Z, and W were very similar and significantly higher than that of sample Y. Gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) detected 111 volatile flavor compounds, with acids, alcohol, and ketones having a significantly higher relative content than other compounds, indicating their vital role in the flavor formation process of soybean pastes. Furthermore, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model analysis identified 41 marker compounds that could differentiate the four types of soybean pastes. The overall odor and flavor profile were detected by the E-nose and E-tongue. These fundamental results lay the groundwork for future research on the similarities and differences between the flavor characteristics of different brands of soybean paste.

In this study, three different brands of commercially available marinated tofu were analyzed and compared with homemade products to explore the effect of key flavor substances on their sensory quality, sensory properties, texture characteristics, and volatile components. The texture characteristics and flavor substances of the three brands of commercially available marinated tofu were significantly different from those of homemade products. A total of 64 volatile components were identified by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), mainly including 11 hydrocarbons, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 15 aldehydes, 4 esters, 1 acid, and 12 other volatile substances. Among these, nine key flavor compounds (ROAV > 1, VIP > 1) were identified using the relative odor activity value (ROAV) combined with a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and variable importance in projection, including α-Pinene, β-Myrcene, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, Butanal, 3-Methyl butanal, acetic acid ethyl ester, 1,8-Cineol, and 2-Pentyl furan. The correlation heatmap showed that sensory evaluation was positively correlated with hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness while negatively correlated with 2-Pentyl furan, α-Pinene, resilience, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, acetic acid ethyl ester, and 1,8-Cineol. Overall, this study provides a theoretical reference for developing new instant marinated tofu snacks.