Peanut Flavor

Several hundred volatile compounds have been identified in roasted peanuts. The raw seed has a green, bean-like flavor (mainly from green-leaf hexanal and the pyrazine that characterizes peas). The roasted aroma is a composite of several sulfur compounds, a number of generically “nutty” pyrazines, and others, some of which have fruity, flowery, fried, and smoky characters. During storage and staling, the nutty pyrazines disappear and painty, cardboard notes increase.