about MSG Monosodium Glutamate

[jeff]

This has been taken from The Chinese Kitchen by Deh-Ta Hsiung.

Amazon.com: The Chinese Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients with Over 200 Easy and Authentic Recipes: Books: Deh-Ta Hsiung,Ken Hom

The use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) is one of the most controversial aspects of Chinese cooking. Extensive research conducted worldwide demonstrates that, if used correctly, MSG is safe for human consumption, since it contains less sodium then the refined salt we use everyday.

Manufacture

The Chinese have been using MSG as a flavor enhancer in its liquid form of soy sauce for centuries, but it was the Japanese who first discovered it could be extracted from seaweed to create what they call Aju-No-Moto (the element of taste). From 1923 the Chinese then began to make their own MSG from wheat protein which was called Ve-Tsin or weijing (the essence of taste), also known as Gourmet Powder. Its popularity was phonomenal: within years it became an indispensable item to both the catering trade and middle-class households, for as the makers claim on the package: "A sprinkling of Ve-Tsin will bring out the full natural flavor of your dishes and render them surprisingly delicious." Glutamic acid is one of the most abundant amino acids and is one of the most commonly used of the 23 or so we find in proteins. The salt it forms with sodium (MSG), potassium, calcium and so on are collectively referred to as glutamates and occur naturally in meat, fish, milk (particularly breast milk), cheese, vegetables, tomatoes and mushrooms.

Culinary Uses

Some Chinese restaurants may claim that they do not use any MSG in their dishes, but they do use soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the other bean pastes, all of which contain MSG - that is why they taste so delicious! When using MSG at home, you must observe a few basic points: you only need a tiny amount no more then a pinch, or about half a teaspoon at most at any one time, and should not use it in every single dish you are serving at the meal: it should never be added to food until the end of cooking, because when heated above 325F for an extended period more then 2-3 minutes, it changes chemically and becomes poisonous: and it should not be sprinkled on at the table, for to have the correct effect, it has to be dissolved completely in the food seconds before the end of cooking.

[Jared]

As I understand it, it's actually better for you than salt, because you can use less MSG than salt and get the same result. The real problem is that a small percentage (way less than 1%) of people are allergic to it, and the symptoms have a very rapid and severe onset.

[jeff]

I think it's because of it being misused, MSG is in so much stuff people don't know about. Ever try buying chicken stock? even the good name brand stuff in the cardboard boxes? yup. Sure enough it's in there as with lots and lots of other stuff, next time you see sausage take a look at the contents.

I've talked with a good bit of people who have MSG issues and for some reason it almost always happens with Chinese food, in fact I've never once heard someone talk about having issues with MSG outside of Chinese food.

It's one of those things, people know Chinese food tends to have MSG and its an easy point your finger and blame the MSG and not the person using the MSG.

Has anyone heard someone say I can't have cambells brand soup because it makes me sick?

[Jared]

I dunno, Cambell's soup is pretty nasty...

;)

[Chefjim]

It is my understanding that it is the extraction process they use on the kelp/seaweed. That is where the problem with MSG lies.

[Jared]

According to Wiki:

Modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation[1] of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.

It's naturally occurring in many fermented foods:

Fermented products like soy sauce, steak sauce, and Worcestershire sauce have comparable levels of glutamate as foods with added MSG.

since MSG is mono-sodium glutamate, some people may be sensitive to the glutamate in it. Apparently there's a toxicity associated with high levels:

Excitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are overactivated. Excitotoxins like NMDA and kainic acid which bind to these receptors, as well as pathologically high levels of glutamate

the end result are seizures caused by nerve damage. This is also possible with aspartame (NutraSweet) and a number of other chemicals.