As a result of their nutritive values,
algae have been used as
a food resource for centuries, and there is a growing interest to
use them as enrichment ingredients in food products. However, food
product acceptance by consumers is strongly linked to their organoleptic
properties, especially the aroma, taste, and a combination of the
two, flavor. With regard to edible algae, “fresh seashore”,
“seafood-like”, “cucumber green”, and
“earthy” are descriptors commonly used to define their
aromas. Several families of molecules participate in the diversity
and peculiarities of algal aromas: pungent sulfur compounds and marine
halogenated components but also herbaceous fatty acid derivatives
and fruity–floral terpenoids. In both macroalgae (seaweeds)
and microalgae, these compounds are studied from a chemistry point
of view (identification and quantification) and a sensorial point
of view, involving sensorial evaluation by panelists. As a whole food,
a food ingredient, or a feed, algae are valued for their nutritional
composition and their health benefits. However, because the acceptance
of food by consumers is so strongly linked to its sensorial features,
studies have been performed to explore the aromas of algae, their
impact on food, their evolution through processing, and their ability
to produce selected aromas using biotechnology. This review aims at
highlighting algal aromas from seaweed and microalgae as well as their
use, their handling, and their processing in the food industry.