Effect of cooking methods on flavor profiles of Xuanwei Ham: Analytical insights into aromatic composition and sensory attributes

To examine flavor variations in Xuanwei ham due to different cooking methods, we selected one-year cured Xuanwei ham and applied four techniques: dry frying (DF), baking (BA), steaming (ST), and boiling (BO). Organoleptic evaluation revealed ST received the highest overall sensory score. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that the total nucleotide content was significantly different (<i>P</i> < 0.05), lactic acid predominated the measured organic acids. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPM<i>E</i>-GC-MS) and chromatography-electronic nose (GC-E-Nose) data indicated that ST resulting in significantly higher total volatile compounds than the other methods (P < 0.05). SPME-GC-MS detected 55 volatile compounds, and 12 characteristic flavor substances were identified using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) (VIP > 1). This study aimed to support comprehensive research on the flavor characteristics of cooked Xuanwei ham and guide the selection of appropriate processing methods.