The odor of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is an important sensory function directly related to the quality and efficacy of TCM.Special odor is also an important indicator for the identification and quality evaluation of TCM.From the perspective of chemical basis,volatile ingredients are different and Chinese medicine odor different.Studying the chemical substance basis of TCM odor is of great significance to the modern research of TCM,such as comprehensive quality control,clinical application assistance and scientific connotation interpretation of traditional Chinese medicine.At present,the research on TCM odor mainly focuses on the composition,preparation technology and pharmacological function of volatile oil,as well as the modern characterization and differentiation of TCM odor by using sensory analysis equipment.However,there is no systematic summary and introduction on the classification of TCM odor and the basis of chemical substances.This paper summarizes this topic from the aspects of odor detection technology,sensory classification of odor,chemical material basis of odor and variation law of odor during the production of TCM preparations,and looks forward to its research direction.