This study was conducted to determine firstly the composition of the essential oil from fresh changpo (Acorus calamus var. angustatus Bess) roots quantitatively and qualitatively by use of two internal standards, and secondly volatile compounds which are primarily responsible for the aroma of changpo roots. Simultaneous steam distillation and extraction method was used for essential oil extraction, and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and sniffing test by gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) were used to detect the characteristic impact odorants. According to the instrumental analysis of changpo root essential oil, cis, trans-famesol (47.56 mg/kg of fresh wt), octanoic acid (23.73 mg/kg of fresh wt), trans-2-dodecenal (20.28 mg/kg of fresh wt) and trans, trans-farnesol (13.81 mg/kg of fresh wt) were the most abundant compounds. Geranyl acetate, trans-nerolidol and trans, trans-farnesyl acetate were evaluated as the characteristic impact odorants of changpo roots from results of AEDA and sniffing test. Especially, geranyl acetate was considered as the most similar odor component to changpo roots by organoleptic evaluation with GC/O.