Abstract

Over 100 compounds were identified by headspace analysis, atmospheric distillation, and vacuum distillation of crayfish 'fat'. An indication of the relative quantities in each sample analyzed was also obtained. The aroma of the vacuum distillate was more typical of the fatty, seafood-like character than that of the atmospheric pressure distillate. The aroma of the atmospheric pressure distillate was considerably more cooked in character. This observation is confirmed when one notes the increased amounts of pyrazines, furans and sulfur compounds found in the atmospheric pressure distillate. The large amounts of 14 - 17 carbon normal and branched-chain aliphaic aldehydes probably arise from hydrolysis of the vinyl ethers of plasmologens in the phospholipid-rich tissue on extended heating. Based in part on odor evaluation of the peaks as they eluted from a GC equipped with an effluent splitter, the 14 -17 carbon aldehydes are considered to be of only minor importance to the crayfish flavor. The identified components of most significance to the desirable flavor of freshly cooked crayfish are most likely the lower molecular weight aldehydes, enals, dienals, and ketones plus traces of pyrazines.

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