Analysis of the quality and bacterial composition of spicy cabbage between Liaoning and Yanbian in northeastern China based on flavoromics and amplicon sequencing

Abstract Background Chinese spicy cabbage (CSC) is a famous traditional fermented vegetable widely consumed in northeast China. However, the differences in characteristics between Liaoning spicy cabbage (LNSC) and Yanbian spicy cabbage (YBSC), as well as the correlation between flavor attributes and microbiota remain unclear. This study clearly delineated the characteristics and correlations of ingredients, aroma characteristics and microbial communities between LNSC and YBSC. Results Metabolomic analysis revealed distinct compositional differences in both volatile and non‐volatile metabolites between LNSC and YBSC. Through relative odor activity value analysis, 17 and 14 key flavor compounds were identified as characteristic components in LNSC and YBSC, respectively. Amplicon sequencing demonstrated significant regional variations in the bacterial community structure of CSC. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong correlations between 20 bacteria and 11 free amino acids, 22 volatile flavor compounds. Conclusion This study systematically compared the quality characteristics between LNSC and YBSC, providing fundamental data for the evaluation of spicy cabbage and fermented food products. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.