The Consolidated "MSG" thread
 

So the other day, my wife and I are sitting at a local Sichuan restaurant eating our meal when the customers at the table next to us say "We need more flavor for this soup". The cook comes out with a heaping coffee cup of MSG and pours it into the pot of soup which was on the table. The customer stirs and says "thanks" and enjoys his soup.

If you like Japanese food, anything that has seaweed has natural MSG in it. My understanding is parmesean cheese is natural msg properties which is the reason why Italian food is so tasty.

I like MSG on my popcorn with real butter and sea salt.

Why are the Chinese NOT allergic to MSG? or are they immune? or are we too sensitive?

I don't know what was in that coffee cup, but one heaping teaspoon of pure MSG would be more than enough for a pot of soup. I've heard some say they were allergic to it, then watch them eat things like Campbells soup or snack chips which are loaded with it with no ill effects. I have no problem with it at all. We keep it at home and use it regularly in certain things.

There are many who believe that MSG "allergy" is made up. That said, umami is the flavor profile of MSG and can be added with ingredients like anchovy and mushroom. There is a British company which is producing a natural umami paste, "Taste No. 5" which looks interesting.

Be careful with MSG
 

MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. It is supposed to bring out "meat" taste. There has been a great debate about it. While generally it is felt to be "safe", there is a powerful lobby behind it.
Glutamate is a powerful neuro transmitter and although MSG is a imple amino acid, it does have potent biological properties. Those who may have "allergies" might have earlier adversely affected by MFG. After consuming massive quantities of MSG for over a period of a month, I became terribly depressed. While there is no scientific literature, be careful in consuming daily/routine/large doses of MFG.

It was at least a cup not a teaspoon of MSG. We don't mind MSG but that was so much that made us wonder if MSG can be bad for you.

:D I laugh when resturants say they don't use it; and then I get sick!
The closest Asian restaurant to where I work does this. I don't really think they are trying to drive off the customers. I suspect they don't understand that what may be acceptable for them is too much for me. Several of my coworkers complain about this, too. But, the restaurant is still in business; and we are all still going somewhere else for Asian.:D

Well I am Chinese and while I am not allergic to MSG, I prefer meals that do not contain too much MSG. I have been in restaurants that have done so and I would end up drinking water endlessly the following couple of hours after the meal.

much agreed. one of many reasons i like cooking at home: pasta oil tomato that's it.i've also found that its getting harder and harder to find a place to eat with all this MSG rubbish that gets my tongue numb...

I get headaches after eating pho sometimes, which has lead me to believe that the vast amounts of MSG added is what causes the headaches.

i do believe some people are allergic to it. There's a food allergy for everything.

But I'm not a believer that MSG = bad tasting. It's used extensively in japanese cooking and overall east asian cooking, as it's considered almost like salt or a spice. I know with vietnamese pho, it's almost imperative that the best phos make at least a bit of msg.

MSG unfortunately is a key element for a tasty Pho which is what my Vietnamese friends told me. From my experiences, some restaurant are better than others in not over overloading on the MSG and yet at the same time still maintain the high quality taste of the Pho.

While on biz trips in Asia, I usually keep track of restaurants that do use MSG and ones that don't (to a lesser degree in the U.S.- some of them still do, caveat emptor), it helps me maintain a sense of sanity, as too much MSG for me is a no-no.

When it comes to chinese restaurants, when there's a sign that says "No MSG", i'll skip it. To me it's a euphemism for "We sell americanized chinese food here".

Or it's the rope that they've thrown in order to rope you in.

I always skip restaurants that display this sign.

While most of the posts above reference Asian food, I think it's worth noting that it's nigh unto impossible to find a commercial dry rub for your brisket that doesn't contain MSG, and in the world of competition BBQ, MSG-free is pretty much unheard of. If you've ever tried to make your own mix and wondered why it didn't measure up, you've probably left out the Accent.