Abstract:Smoked food is popular among consumers because of its unique flavor and taste. Food-grade liquid smoke has become a key ingredient in determining the flavor quality of smoked food, as liquid smoking has been widely applied in smoked-food processing. However, the lack of research on the basic theory and techniques for processing food-grade liquid smoke has led to limited diversity and flavor of liquid-smoke in the Chinese market. The flavor of smoked food produced using liquid smoke is often inferior with little differentiation, which hinders the modern development of the smoked-food industry. Deep understanding of the mechanisms and pathways regulating the formation of volatile flavor compounds during the preparation of liquid smoke is crucial for quality enhancement. This article covers each step in the preparation of liquid smoke. The factors affecting the formation of volatile flavor compounds in liquid smoke are discussed, including the type, moisture content, and particle size of the raw materials, as well as the oxygen content, processing temperature, and refining method. The influencing mechanisms are also examined. The aim of this research is to provide new ideas for the targeted control and production of high-quality, food-grade, liquid-smoke products.