Changes in taste compounds of duck during processing

Nanjing cooked duck is one of the few low temperature cooked meat products in traditional Chinese featured meat products. It is famous for its delicate processing, savoury, and tender flavour. Taste compounds of Nanjing cooked duck during processing, namely free amino acids, peptides and nucleotides, were analyzed. During boiling, both free amino acids and flavour nucleotides decreased significantly. Most peptides decreased during processing and the changes of total peptides were consistent with the nucleotides. Results showed that the special processes before boiling, especially brining, produced an increased of effect on the taste compounds, which could be the reason for the savoury taste of Nanjing cooked duck.