<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The flavour of pandan (<jats:italic>Pandanus amaryllifolius</jats:italic> Roxb.) leaves was extracted by supercritical fluid with CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (SC‐CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) under different conditions of pressure, temperature and contact time to determine the yield of 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline (ACPY) and various other components; 14 volatile compounds on the gas chromatogram were identified, and the predominant constituents were ACPY and 3‐methyl‐2(5<jats:italic>H</jats:italic>)‐furanone. The interaction of different conditions significantly influenced the yield of ACPY and various volatile compounds. There is a potential for high yield of ACPY by SC‐CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> at 200 bar, 500 °C and 20 min. The SDE–ether extract was found to have a very small amount of ACPY and an undesirable odour, as compared to the dark green ethanol extract, which contains a relatively larger quantity of ACPY and even more 3‐methyl‐2(5<jats:italic>H</jats:italic>)‐furanone. Although at least 34 new components were uncovered from SC‐CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>, SDE, and ethanol extraction, both ACPY and 3‐methyl‐2(5<jats:italic>H</jats:italic>)‐furanone were the components tentatively obtained by all three methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.