Abstract:Maillard reaction is one of the main ways to produce the flavor of high-temperature fried food. In this paper, the effects of reducing sugars fructose and glucose on the flavor of fried shrimp were studied. Based on electronic nose, electronic tongue and sensory evaluation, adding trace reducing sugar can significantly improve the flavor quality of fried shrimp, and fructose has more significant promotion effect on taste and volatile flavor than glucose. GC-MS analysis showed that trace reducing sugar could significantly increase the volatile flavor compounds of fried shrimp. 38, 41 and 56 volatile flavor compounds were detected in the control group, the group with trace glucose and the group with trace fructose, respectively. Pyrazines in the control group accounted for 0.76% of the total volatile flavor compounds, while pyrazines in the trace glucose group and fructose group increased to 42.31% and 42.44% respectively. The results showed that there were 8, 17 and 20 volatile compounds with odor activity (OAV) values greater than 1 in the control group, the glucose group and the fructose group, respectively. The key flavor compounds were 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3-diethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, methyl 2-methylbutyrate and trimethylamine. Among them, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine had the most significant flavor contribution in the group with trace glucose, while 3-diethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine and methyl 2-methylbutyrate were the main flavor components in the group with trace fructose. The results showed that the addition of different reducing sugars could promote the formation of different key flavor compounds in fried Eagle Claw shrimp. Although glucose and fructose were isomers, fructose group was better than glucose in flavor improvement.