This study describes a new and suitable method for the rapid evaluation of rice (Oryza sativa, L.)aroma by analysis of the volatile fraction using solid-phase microextraction coupled with massspectrometry (SPME/MS). The abundance list of unresolved mass fragments of the SPME extractedvolatile fraction formed the "fingerprint" of a rice sample. Fingerprints of 61 rice samples were recordedin duplicate. Pollutants originating from the extraction system induce fingerprint background that couldbe lowered by careful cleaning of vials and caps and by exclusion of specific mass fragments. Agood discrimination between scented and nonscented rice samples was obtained using the SIMCAprocedure. Most of the discriminating mass fragments could be directly or indirectly assigned topotential aromatic molecules present in rice.