Abstract:The effects of different air drying methods on the quality of puffer fish were studied. After being cured with two different formulas，puffer fish were dried at medium and low temperatures，respectively. When the water activity decreased to 0.88，the nutrient composition，total volatile basic nitrogen（TVB-N），thiobarbituric acid reactive substance（TBARS），water dynamic changes，and flavor components of the final product were determined.The results showed that the drying process was accompanied by the gradually decreased moisture content and water activity，relatively increased protein and ash content，and significantly increased fat content in the dried puffer fish. During the drying process，TVB-N increased and reached 70 mg/100 g in the finished product. The drying process witnessed the first increase and then decrease in TBARS，which was within the range of 2.4-2.8 mg/kg at the end of drying.The puffer fish air-dried at low temperatures had better quality and richer volatile flavor compounds than that air-dried at high temperatures.