Volatile flavor components of rice cakes

Volatiles were obtained from commercially prepared and laboratory-prepared rice cakes using high-flow dynamic headspace isolation with Tenax trapping. Analysis was carried out by capillary GC/MS. More than 60 compounds were i dentified. Major volatiles included 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, furfuryl alcohol , 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, pyrazine, hexanal, furfural, pent anol, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (acetoin), and ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine. Altho ugh not ideally applicable to a dry product, concentration/threshold ratios indicated that the compounds with a high probability of contributing to th e aroma and flavor included 3-methylbutanal, dimethyl trisulfide, 2-ethyl-3 ,5-dimethylpyrazine, 4-vinylguaiacol, hexanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, 2-meth ylbutanal, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 1-octen-3-ol, and 1-octen-3-one.