Abstract: Traditional simultaneous distillation extraction ( SDE) and head space solid phase microextraction ( HS-SPME) were compared for their effectiveness in the extraction of volatile compounds from Sichuan traditional pickled radish.The extracted compounds was analyzed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry ( GC- MS) .Total 67 volatile compounds were identified, including hydrocarbons, esters, sulfocompounds, aldehydes, alcohols, phenols and ethers. The results indicated that SDE method provided better extraction for volatiles with higher molecular mass and boiling point, especially compounds for saturated hydrocarbons, while the results of HS-SPME method was inverse.Especially, isothiocyanates and sulfocompounds which had important role in aroma of Sichuan traditional pickled radish were better extracted by HS-SPME method.