Eight types of microcapsules of European pear (La France) aroma model mixture were prepared, and their retained aroma components and sample microstructures ( both surface and cross-section) were compared. The La France pear aroma model mixture was prepared by the mixing of hexanal and five kinds of esters. alpha-Cyclodextrin (alpha-CD), gum arabic (GA), soybean soluble polysaccharide (SSPS), and highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD) were used as carrier solids, and spray drying and freeze drying comprised the drying methods. The mean particle size of the microcapsules ranged from 8.34 mu m for the microcapsules with alpha-CD to 9.67 mu m for those with SSPS. The total aroma contents were different depending upon the microencapsulation systems (1.35 g/100 g of microcapsules for the spray-dried microcapsules with HBCD to 14.1 g/100 g of microcapsules for the freezedried microcapsules with GA). The microcapsules with alpha-CD and GA were stable against heat treatment (40, 80, or 120 degrees C for 60 min) under nitrogen gas flow.