Objective To investigate the nutritional quality and flavor characteristics of the unique lotus sprout in Caidian.Methods A texture analyzer, electronic nose, solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectroscopy (GC-IMS) were used to analyze the textural properties and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of three primary lotus sprout varieties, i.e., "Maosanjie", "Baiyuzan 2", and "Elian 5" in Caidian. The nutritional quality of these three lotus sprouts was comprehensively evaluated through principal component analysis.Results Significant differences were found in the nutritional quality of the three lotus sprout varieties, except for starch content. The cumulative contribution rate of the two principal components was 92.612%, effectively reflecting the comprehensive nutritional quality of the lotus sprouts. Baiyuzan 2 ranked first in terms of overall score. Maosanjie exhibited superior textural characteristics compared to the other two varieties. The overall flavor components of the three lotus sprouts were similar, with a higher content of small molecular volatile organic compounds. The flavor substance content in Maosanjie and Elian 5 was higher than that in Baiyuzan 2. Three common characteristic flavor compounds, 2-pentyl furan, phenylacetaldehyde, and nonanal, were detected in all three lotus sprout varieties using SPME-GC-MS and GC-IMS. The relative content of aldehydes, esters, and ketones in the volatile components of the three lotus sprouts ranged from 22.10% to 30.06%, 19.76% to 20.42%, and 18.67% to 24.47%, respectively, making significant contributions to the formation of the lotus sprout flavor. Aldehydes were the most prominent volatile compounds and played a key role in shaping the characteristic aroma of the lotus sprouts. Through orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), 17 volatile compounds with significant contributions were selected. Furthermore, a correlation between the quality and flavor of the lotus sprouts was found.Conclusion Caidian lotus sprout is rich in nutrition, has a unique aroma, and shows broad market prospects.