Unpacking the history of MSG.

This savory ingredient has a loaded past. [View this email in your browser]( Psst: MSG is delicious.  Your favorite chips. That bottle of salad dressing currently in your fridge. Your go-to fast-food order. Hot dogs sizzlin’ on the grill. Frozen mac ‘n’ cheese, or chicken nuggets, or pizza. What do they all have in common? They’re probably flavored with MSG. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is an ingredient added to a wide variety of foods in order to enhance flavor. Delicious, crave-able, savory, umami-like flavor. It’s been used to make food taste better for over a century — yet this three-letter ingredient is packed with a turbulent history. Most notably, it has long been tied specifically to Chinese cuisine, despite the fact that it’s used in all sorts of foods (and found naturally in many foods as well!). This association has [given MSG a racist reputation]( it still struggles to shake off. Chef Arnold Myint’s [Khao Kluk Kapi]( made up of caramelized ginger pork, wok-fried rice with “funky and savory” shrimp paste, green mango, egg ribbons, dried shrimp, lime, and peanuts. “My parent’s restaurant had a sign that said ‘No MSG.’ And it feels like that statement alone has become a misguided consideration for western diners as to whether or not they chose to support Asian establishments,” shares [Chef Arnold Myint]( “Even in these modern times, at my elevated-chef driven sustainably conscious Thai restaurant (where I am a classically trained chef) I still periodically get this question and can’t help but think that I was never asked this when I had my French bistro.” Many modern chefs are reclaiming MSG as a useful, flavorful ingredient, while also trying to undo the years of anti-Asian sentiment unfairly anchored to MSG. Today, we’re continuing to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by delving into a subject that has long ostracized the AAPI food community. We’re breaking down the history of MSG, and chatting with a few chefs on how they feel about this tiny-but-mighty flavor enhancer. Let’s dive in ⤵️ MSG: The early years – We can thank [Professor Kidunae Ikeda of Japan]( for MSG. If you’ve ever sipped on dashi, a common stock used in Japanese cuisine (miso soup, anyone?), then you’ll have a sense of how Ikeda felt when he enjoyed his wife’s dashi in the early 20th century. He became obsessed with the rich, savory, and complex flavor, which came from the kombu, or dried seaweed, used to flavor the stock. Kombu (or konbu) seaweed Ikeda, who worked in biochemical mechanics, was attempting to isolate the “fifth flavor” of the human tongue, called umami. Inspired by his wife’s kombu, he was able to create — and patent — MSG in 1909. A racist history – “MSG, a food additive, has so many negative connotations,” says [Chef Kay](. “The myths around it started with anti-Asian racism.” MSG quickly took off as a popular flavor enhancer after Ikeda’s patent. It took another decade or so before [it hit the American market]( and it didn’t start in home kitchens — rather, large food corporations began adding MSG to their products. So what caused the panic about MSG and Chinese food? Most sources point to a specific [letter to the editor]( published in 1968 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Though MSG is never mentioned, Dr. Ho Man Kwok wrote of the many symptoms he experienced after eating at a Chinese restaurant: “numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations.” The heading of Dr. Ho’s letter to the editor. Soon after, serious scientific publications continued to run articles on “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” The public quickly picked up on this thread: Chinese food was to blame. And for many, this also meant Japanese food, Vietnamese food, Thai food, and beyond, as diners’ casual racism lumped all of Asian cuisine into one category. For decades, many Chinese restaurants have been forced to battle unfair perceptions regarding their cuisine. Photo: National Museum of American History / CC 2.0 “This stigma is one that needs to stop,” says [Chef Arnold Myint]( “MSG is nothing more than a flavor enhancer, basically a super salt, that also exists naturally in typically consumed foods like fruits and proteins.” In recent years – After decades of urban legend tying “unsafe” MSG to Chinese food (while the ingredient continued to appear throughout grocery store aisles and drive-throughs across America), large organizations finally stepped in. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization studied MSG and [reported]( in 1987 that it did not “represent a hazard to health.” And in the 1990s, a major U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [report]( “concluded that MSG is safe.” A bottle of Ajinomoto MSG, the original patented seasoning. Photo: Richard Masoner / CC 2.0 “The fact is, it is FDA-approved and backed by science that it is safe to consume,” [Chef Kay]( says. “Do you take salt by the spoonful and think it is healthy? Like all things in life, everything needs to be in moderation.” [Chef Arnold Myint]( agrees. “Excessive use of anything is of course not good for anyone, but as a seasoning, when used in moderation just like salt, sugar and spices, MSG takes flavor to the next level.  Though I do not intentionally ‘use’ MSG in my cooking, I also do not -not- use MSG since it’s naturally in almost everything." Modern MSG – Unfortunately, the racist connotations associated with MSG still proliferate today, despite the numerous [authors]( [scientists]( and [chefs]( who continue to educate the public on the truth. But MSG is slowly shaking off its undeserved reputation. “Be open-minded, and don't be afraid to try,” [Chef Kay]( encourages. “MSG is a great flavor enhancer that will make stuff good, adding a little bit goes a long way.” Chef David Chang has been one of the leading voices fighting the stigma against MSG in recent years, even giving a speech at the [MAD Symposium in Denmark]( on the myth of “harmful” MSG. He also uses it in his own cooking. “Got a few negative comments because I added MSG to my 🍿 Nobody says they get headaches from ranch dressing” — [@davidchang]( And popular condiment brand [Omsom]( is also encouraging customers to add MSG to their home cooking with their “IYKYK” Shaker Set, which includes the classic Ajinomoto MSG in a trendy, colorful shaker. Omsom says that the “bold shaker set is for those who know that MSG belongs on every American dining table.” MSG is even making its way onto the menus of America’s hottest new restaurants. [Bonnie’s]( a Cantonese American Restaurant in Brooklyn, features an MSG martini on its menu, for instance, as well as throughout most of its menu. Same goes for [Lucky Danger]( an American Chinese restaurant in Washington, D.C. The martini at Bonnie’s is made withh an MSG olive brine, Shaoxing wine in place of vermouth, and gin or vodka. Even Tastemade’s own Chef Frankie Celenza has been vocal about the misconceptions surrounding MSG, separating fact from fiction and giving suggestions on how to incorporate MSG into your home cooking. [Watch Here]( We hope this deep dive has encouraged you to expand your palate when dining out, or even incorporate MSG into your own home cooking. Ultimately, we feel the same way as [Chef Arnold Myint]( when it comes to this savory ingredient: “With MSG, I #STAN.” [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [Pinterest icon]( [TikTok icon]( [YouTube icon]( [Twitter icon]( Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up!]( Copyright (C) 2023 Tastemade. All rights reserved. You're receiving this because you opted into our email list. Our mailing address is: Tastemade 3019 Olympic Blvd, Stage CSanta Monica, CA 90404 [Add us to your address book]( [Unsubscribe]( from this list. If you have a Tastemade account, transactional emails are managed separately in your [account preferences](.