Abstract:To address the issues of flavor deterioration after reheating and difficulties in standardizing ready-to-eat frozen Yangzhou egg fried rice, this study examined five brands of ready-to-eat Yangzhou egg fried rice: Sanhe Simei (DCF1), Sanquan (DCF2), Chia Tai (DCF3), Best (DCF4), and Xiangqiang (DCF5). A sensory evaluation panel was established to develop sensory descriptors. Through preliminary and secondary screening, summarization, reduction, and final selection, 22 descriptors were ultimately collected and a flavor profile of Yangzhou egg fried rice was constructed for principal component analysis. Subsequently, the samples were evaluated using quantitative descriptive analysis and the check-all-that apply method. Finally, the correlation between flavor descriptors and nutritional components was explored. Basic nutritional components and moisture content were measured, and an electronic tongue was employed to analyze taste profiles. Overall, the most frequently mentioned descriptors were umami, egg flavor, oily flavor, egg aroma, chewiness/elasticity, and loose/fluffy texture, with DCF1 receiving the highest preference rating. A taste evaluation system for Yangzhou egg fried rice was established based on three basic taste dimensions (sweet, salty, and umami), seven comprehensive taste dimensions (e.g., charred flavor and seafood flavor), and the aftertaste descriptor “lingering.” These findings can serve as a reference for flavor research on Yangzhou egg fried rice.