Aroma and flavor characteristics of commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions

Abstract Chinese traditional bacon (Larou) is a popular ethnic pork product produced in southern of China and yet sensory characteristics of this bacon are not well described. A highly trained, descriptive sensory panel identified and defined 13 flavor terms and 4 basic taste terms in 24 commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions. Principal component analysis was used to map the scores obtained during the validation phase. Obvious differences were found among the three main Chinese traditional bacon from Guangdong, Hunan, and Sichuan. The developed attributes and references were successfully used by the trained panel to describe a wide range of Chinese traditional bacon samples. Practical applications Chinese Traditional Bacon is a popular uncooked meat product, with dominant producing areas in Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, and Guizhou, among others. The lexicon was used to describe the aroma and flavor characteristics of commercial Chinese traditional bacon from different geographical regions. This information is useful for product developers, researchers, and technologists to understand the aroma and flavor characteristics of Chinese traditional bacon. They can use those attributes to determine key flavor compounds, to develop new products, modify other products, and study quality control and shelf‐life issues.