Analysis of differences in flavor attributes of soups: A case study on shiitake mushrooms dried from different drying techniques

The objective of this experiment was to assess the impact of diverse drying methods on the flavor of shiitake mushroom soup. The study focused on measuring the levels of aroma and taste substances in mushroom soups. The results showed the shiitake mushroom soup from the freeze-dried group and the microwave vacuum-dried group had higher levels of taste compounds. However, similar to hot air drying and vacuum drying, freeze-drying engendered an amplification in the bitterness and astringency of the shiitake soup. In contrast, microwave vacuum drying (MVD) not only suppressed the increase in undesirable taste in the shiitake mushroom soup but also enhanced its gustatory richness. Concerning aroma, MVD has significantly reduced the drying time of shiitake mushrooms while providing optimal temperature conditions, thereby enhancing the quantity and variety of volatile compounds in shiitake mushroom soup. Consequently, MVD emerges as a promising technique for yielding mushroom soup products of elevated quality.