Non-volatile components effects on quality of "Serrano" dry-cured ham as related to processing time

Following long dry-curing periods, Spanish "Serrano" ham develops a specific "dry-cured ham" flavor. To determine the effects of length of curing on flavor generation, replicate hams were processed for 7 or 12 mo prior to amino acid, peptide, and flavor evaluation by reverse phase HPLC, capillary zone electrophoresis, and sensory analysis, respectively Generation of dry-cured and pork flavors correlated with the accumulation of amino acids. The relation of these components with sensory descriptors was examined by factor analysis. Results indicated that combinations and proportions of taste-active components produced the specific dry-cured flavor characteristic rather than an accumulation of any single flavor component.