Objective To comprehensively reveal the flavor and quality characteristics, and differences of Morchella esculenta under different cultivation methods, and systematically evaluate their volatile aroma components.Methods Qualitative and quantitative analyses are conducted on volatile aroma components in M. esculenta cultivated in greenhouses, under forests, and in caves in the vicinity of FAST by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The contribution of different components to the overall flavor is assessed by the relative odor activity value (ROAV) method. Based on this, principal component analysis and cluster analysis are conducted, achieving a comprehensive evaluation of the flavor characteristics of M. esculenta.Results The GC-MS analysis results show that 1 201 volatile substances are detected in M. esculenta under the three cultivation methods, mainly including acid, alcohol, aldehyde, amine, aromatics, ester, ether, halogenated hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, hydrocarbons, ketone, nitrogen compounds, phenol, sulfur compounds, and terpenoids. Among them, the relative content of heterocyclic compounds is the highest, ranging from 11.042% to 28.365%, followed by ester and aldehyde. Due to different cultivation methods, the relative content of various volatile components varies, with significant differences between most of them (P<0.05). The analysis results of the ROAV method show that the main volatile aroma components in M. esculenta under three cultivation methods are α,α,4-trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methylthiol, dihydro-2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, and 1-nonen-3-one. Different cultivation methods result in variations in the volatile aroma components in various M. esculenta. The comprehensive evaluation results of principal component analysis and cluster analysis indicate that the cave cultivation method leads to the highest comprehensive score on the aroma quality of M. esculenta and the best aroma quality.Conclusion There are numerous types of volatile compounds in M. esculenta cultivated in greenhouses, under forests, and in caves in the vicinity of FAST, with significant differences in relative content. The main volatile aroma components vary with the cultivation method. Additionally, the best aroma quality is found in M. esculenta cultivated in caves.