AbstractBACKGROUND: Tangerines have a distinct flavor among citrus fruit. However, information on tangerine volatiles remains limited. Volatile compounds from a breeding population of tangerines were earlier identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In this study, five hybrids with a distinct volatile profile were analyzed by gas‐chromatography–olfactometry (GC‐O) and descriptive sensory analysis.RESULTS: Forty‐nine aroma active compounds were found in a consensus by GC‐O. Aldehydes were the most important group with odor activity, as well as monoterpenes, esters, alcohols and ketones. 1,8‐Cineole, β‐myrcene, (E,E)‐2,4‐nonadienal, hexanal, ethyl‐2‐methylbutanoate, and linalool were perceived with high intensity in most samples. Two ‘Clementine’ × ‘Minneola’ and one ‘Fortune’ × ‘Murcott’ hybrids with tangerine, sulfury and woody/spicy flavors had aroma active compounds with terpeney, fatty/vegetable and metallic/rubber descriptors. A tangerine with ‘Valencia’ orange in its parentage had a characteristic orange flavor, which could be explained by esters and ketones, high in fruity and floral odor intensities. A hybrid of unknown origin had a distinct fruity–non‐citrus and pumpkin/fatty flavor; that sample had the lowest amount of aroma‐active volatiles, with the least compounds with terpeney odors.CONCLUSION: There was no one compound characteristic of tangerine flavor. Nevertheless, each sample sensory characteristic could be explained by a set of aroma‐active volatile compounds. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.