Non-volatile taste components of several commercial mushrooms

Winter (strains white and yellow), shiitake (strains 271 and Taichung 1) an d oyster mushrooms (abalone and tree oyster mushrooms) were collected from commercial sources. Strain yellow contained 26.7% of proteins (higher than other mushrooms). Shiitake and the two oyster mushrooms contained more than 60% of carbohydrates. Arabitol was found in the highest amounts only in wi nter mushrooms. Glucose, mannitol and trehalose were found in varied amount s. Total soluble sugar contents were in the order: winter mushrooms > shiit ake > abalone and tree oyster mushrooms. Total contents of free amino acids also varied and ranged from 4.08 to 31.5 mg g(-1) dry weight. Contents of total 5'-nucleotides were similar in the two winter mushrooms, whereas the content of flavour 5'-nucleotides was higher in strain white. Contents of t otal and flavour 5'-nucleotides were higher in strain 271 than in strain Ta inung 1. The two oyster mushrooms were comparable in contents of flavour 5' -nucleotides. The umami taste was in the order: strain 271 > winter mushroo ms > two oyster mushrooms and strain Tainung 1. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.