The effect of cooking approaches on the flavor, nutrition and antioxidant activity of asparagus
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: After cooking, asparagus develops unique flavor boosting its sensory appeal. This study explored flavor, nutrition, and antioxidant activity in asparagus after deep-frying, stir-frying, steaming, boiling, and air-frying. Gas chromatography ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was employed to identify the characteristic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the asparagus exposed to different processing methods. The sensory evaluation indicated that deep-frying enhanced the sweety, green, and fruity flavors in the asparagus. Boiling and steaming highlighted green notes, while air-frying accentuated the sweetness, fruity, and sulfury aromas. Deep-frying and air-frying increased the protein (50.8% and 52.3%), vitamin C (14.1% and 39.7%), calcium (82.0% and 103.9%), magnesium (44.5% and 62.0%), and iron (23.7% and 36.8%) levels. Moreover, deep-frying best preserved the antioxidant capacity of the asparagus, followed by steaming. The results help consumers in selecting appropriate cooking methods and provide a theoretical basis for the techniques used to evaluate the flavor and nutritional value of asparagus.
Source: CyTA - Journal of Food
Authors: Chunyan Shen, Yaling Huang
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,790
OpenAlex ID: W4414334524