Objective To investigate the effect of erucic acid content on the flavor characteristics of fragrant rapeseed oil and clarify the key aroma-active compounds and their action mechanisms.Methods Eleven commercial fragrant rapeseed oils with different erucic acid contents were selected as the research objects. Their fatty acid compositions and basic physicochemical indicators (acid value, peroxide value, and color) were determined. Electronic nose technology combined with headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used for the qualitative analysis of volatile flavor compounds in each sample. Key aroma-active compounds were screened out based on relative odor activity values, and the flavor differences among samples with different erucic acid contents were compared.Results The physicochemical indicators of all eleven samples conform to the national standards. There are significant differences in the sensor signals of W1W (targeting sulfides) and W2W (targeting organic sulfides) among samples, indicating that sulfides play a major role in flavor recognition of fragrant rapeseed oil. A total of 114 volatile compounds are identified via HS-SPME-GC-MS, and 30 key aroma-active compounds are screened out based on relative odor activity values. Among them, the degradation products of glucosinolates (such as 3-butenenitrile, methylallyl cyanide, 2,4-pentadienenitrile, and phenylpropionitrile) are present in higher contents in high erucic acid rapeseed oil, endowing it with a stronger pungent flavor. In contrast, the main aroma-active compound in low erucic acid rapeseed oil is hexanal, which exhibits distinct grassy and fruity flavors.Conclusion High erucic acid oil exhibits a strong pungent flavor due to the enrichment of sulfides, while low erucic acid oil presents grassy and fruity aromas owing to the dominant presence of hexanal.