 Msg
I agree with Scott123. MSG (a soluble form of a naturally-occuring amino acid found, for example, in wheat) has gotten a bad rap because of its extensive overuse in prepared foods and bad Far Eastern cooking. It is one of the class of materials (that includes hydrolyzed vegetable proteins) that make up the Umami taste factor, the fifth taste sensation (along with salty, sour, bitter and sweet). Many oriental seasonings, like soy sauce, for example, get much of their flavor from HVPs produced during the brewing process. As a seasoning adjunct, no more than 1/8th to 1/4 teaspoon per four servings is appropriate. While it may be true that a small percentage of people do not tolerate HVPs well (so-called "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome", though recent studies cast doubt on MSG's role), that's largely when large quantities are used to try to disguise the absence of other natural flavors. I realize that amongst many cooks (at least western ones) these are heretical views, but I've experimented quite a bit in "blind" trials, even with cooks who grimace at the mention of MSG. (These were done with consent, of course.)
My earlier post was only to note that there are other, often hidden sources of sodium in foods, not to condemn MSG outright. That said, far too many prepared foods are guilty of using MSG or its lesser known relatives (disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate) in large quantities to hide the fact that there's not much else there besides salt.  |