For many people, monosodium glutamate is better known by its acronym: MSG. The spice has had a lot of controversy surrounding it in the past and some of that still lives on today.
The chemical was first isolated from seaweed by Ikeda Kikunae, a Japanese chemist and would be introduced in 1907 as a food flavoring. Kikunae’s term for the flavor of MSG was umami and comes from the Japanese word for tasty. Early on, the product was not embraced by Japanese restaurants so the company making it changed its marketing strategy and focused on Japanese housewives instead. This avenue proved to be successful and a little more than 20 years later, shakers of MSG would be fixtures on Japanese tables. It was added to food in much the same way that salt is added at the table in western cultures. People became so accustomed to it that within a decade of its adoption in households, it could be found in restaurants as well.
Monosodium glutamate would afterward be introduced in Taiwan and China, then the US. Adoption was slow at first, until its ability to truly improve the flavors of savory dishes was discovered. The Chinese developed their own version of MSG and used it to intensify the flavor of both meat and vegetarian soup stocks. It was seen as a way to make vegetarian foods more flavorful without the addition of meat products.
In most countries, MSG is commonly associated with Chinese food. In particular, it is associated with Chinese food served in restaurants. Many believe that this is how it was introduced to their countries; however, that was not the case. Monosodium glutamate is an ingredient in many packaged foods. It is recognized as an important flavoring additive that reduces blandness.
If you’re an avid eater of Chinese food, chances are you’ve had MSG in one or even all those meals.
Lately, people have become more cautious about food ingredients with chemical names. The potential for carcinogenic effects was particularly concerning to many. In America, The Food and Drug Administration would classify MSG as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). The GRAS classification did not prevent the general public from becoming paranoid about the ingredient after a 1968 falsified report started a weird paranoia that began in the late 1960s and continued through the 1980s, despite numerous studies failing to show a relationship between MSG consumption and illness.
Monosodium Glutamate Flavor Profile
Monosodium glutamate has a mildly salty flavor on its own and is used for its effects on the flavors of other foods rather than for its own flavor. The umami flavor that it brings out can be described as being similar to the broth flavor. One good way to describe it to someone unfamiliar with the concept of umami is in terms of stock concentration. The flavor difference between a stock that has been cooked for an hour and one that has been reduced for three hours is the intensification of the natural glutamates and thus the flavor notes that MSG brings. It is simply the meaty qualities without the taste of a specific meat.
Health benefits of MSG
Monosodium glutamate can enhance the flavors of savory foods, including vegetables and other healthy foods that some individuals may not normally find enjoyable. This may encourage them to eat more of those foods. Aside from its function as an all-purpose enhancer of savory foods, MSG does not seem to have any health benefits.
Common Uses
Traditional uses of MSG include soups, where it is added to intensify the savory taste of broths. It has the same effect on vegetables and can be sprinkled directly onto vegetables before steaming them or into the water in which they are to be boiled. Add it to a marinade for meat or into a sauce for stir-fried dishes.
With the increased influx of Chinese communities in the country, this condiment may become more readily available. In the meantime though, don’t be scared to experiment with ingredients such as beef and chicken stock and mushrooms to bring out the umami in your cooking. Keep it Kapa!
