Aroma components and free amino acids of strawberry Fragaria ananassa x Duchesne var. Chandler were studied at different ripening stages. Ethyl esters were the major volatile compounds in all ripening stages studied, ethyl butanoate and ethyl hexanoate being the two main-esters identified in fully ripe berries. Asparagine, glutamine, and alanine were found to be the most prominent free amino acids in the HPLC profile. A comparison of ethyl ester concentration and alanine contents during Chandler ripening shows that, from 41 to 46 days after blooming, ester biosynthesis increased about 3-fold while alanine levels decreased from 16.7 to 1.6 mg/100 g.