Rice, as an important component of Asian diets, is a core source of high-quality carbohydrates that can rapidly and stably provide energy support for the human body. The flavor quality of rice directly determines its taste characteristics and consumer choice, and the formation pathway of flavor compounds is the core issue in understanding this quality. Currently, there is a lack of systematic elaboration on the generation mechanisms of flavor substances such as 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, acetaldehyde, and propanal during the cooking process of rice, as well as their interaction patterns with protein molecules. This article systematically reviews the generation pathways of key flavor substances in rice and analyzes in depth the interaction mechanisms between characteristic flavor components and proteins in rice. This review is of great significance for clarifying the molecular basis of rice aroma formation, optimizing the cooking and processing techniques of rice, and improving the taste quality of rice. It not only provides theoretical support for meeting the diversified demands of consumers for rice flavor but also offers technical guidance for the industrial production of ready-to-eat rice as a staple food, while providing a referential analytical framework and ideas for research on the flavor of other cereal foods.

The directional regulation of cereal flavor is a core issue in the field of food processing and one of the key factors affecting food quality. The formation and release of the characteristic flavor substances of cereals are influenced by processing conditions. This paper systematically reviews the generation mechanisms and release patterns of the characteristic flavor compounds (volatile and non-volatile compounds) of cereals subjected to six traditional processing technologies, including milling, fermentation, and baking. It also explains the interaction mechanisms of protein, starch and lipid precursors through pathways such as the Maillard reaction and oxidative degradation. Special emphasis is placed on the latest progress in the application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), electronic nose/electronic tongue, molecular sensory omics, and artificial intelligence in flavor analysis. These techniques provide analytical tools for exploring the intrinsic relationship between processing conditions and changes in flavor substances. Meanwhile, construction of a systematic research framework of “processing-precursor-flavor” and introduction of artificial intelligence based on flavor analysis technologies to achieve the prediction and regulation of flavor can help with the directional regulation of the generation, transformation, and release of flavor components under different processing conditions. In the future, focus should be placed on the integration of low-energy-consuming processing technologies and precise flavor models, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development of cereal products with the synergistic advantages of “flavor- nutrition-health”.