AbstractBACKGROUND: With the desirable combination of sugars and acids, volatile compounds contribute to the essential organoleptic attributes of citrus. This study evaluated the aroma volatiles of 20 tangerine hybrids of the University of Florida breeding program. Volatiles were sampled from hand‐squeezed juice by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (SPME), and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to find similarities among samples due to volatile composition with effect of genetic background.RESULTS: In total, 203 volatiles were detected in all samples. Volatiles in lower amounts were widely distributed among samples and were classified mainly as terpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds, such as aldehydes, esters, alcohols and ketones. PCA, based on relative peak areas (content) clearly separated the samples higher in volatile content, mainly those with sweet orange genetic contributions in their background. CA, based on volatile presence/absence, grouped samples into five clusters, each showing distinctive volatile profiles.CONCLUSION: The genetic background of tangerine hybrids affected volatile composition and content of samples. In general, tangerines were characterized by fewer volatiles (in both quality and quantity) and more aldehydes, and hybrids with sweet orange in their background had more sesquiterpenes and esters, which would likely affect their aroma. Published 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.