Andrea, thanks so much for untangling a very complicated subject. I feel much better about MSG after reading this.
Now I wish you would address the use of sugar in Asian (especially Southeast Asian) cooking--it sometimes seems ubiquitous to us non-Asians and somewhat troubling given dietary advice to avoid sugar as much as possible. Is it traditional? And if not, what does the modern use of sugar replace?
Practically a love letter to MSG. Nice. Thanks, Andrea. I have a can of Ve Tsin that serves as a fabulous accent piece. N ow, I'll start using the contents!
Dorothy -- the can is adorable. I was charmed by it. I recall seeing it in Hong Kong in the early 1990s (I'm a dinosaur) but this was the first time I saw it in the U.S. I don't think MSG goes bad.
Nutritional yeast is a major component in Bensons Table Tasty Salt Substitute. The yeast gives a vegetal flavor that only works with some foods and cakes up and clogs the shaker it’s almost impossible to use in a humid climate such as the upper Midwest.
Thank you for this whole series Andrea. My dad’s on a low-sodium diet so I’ve been exploring how to incorporate MSG (which has even less sodium than Diamond Kosher) into my dishes when I’m cooking for him. Based on this post it seems like the MSG helps amplify any salt in a dish, letting you use less salt overall while also creating a more intense flavor. Is that right?
You're so welcome, Chris. MSG has a sodium attached to the glutamic acid (my basic understanding) so it does amplify the saltiness. But its even more than that, it seems. It triggers a sixth sensory pleasure (umami) that signals a profoundly delicious taste. I often express that as a bold savory-ness. It's the "mmm good" part of eating. So it's more than just being salty. So what MSG and other glutamic acids help us to do is to detect an extra flavor note.
Salt often facilitates savory depth but MSG (or a similar flavor enhancer) is a shortcut to arriving at savory depth with less sodium involved. That's how it can help to reduce overall sodium intake.
I need to work on that explanation, I think. Does that make sense? Be honest. :-)
Yes this makes lots of sense! I ask because when I first got my Ajinomoto MSG a few weeks ago (before I knew the full history of the brand thanks to you) I tried just a few of the crystals plain and I was struck by how profoundly unsalty they tasted on their own. It sounds like what you’re saying is that the umami adds not only its own depth of flavor, but also enhances other flavors, especially saltiness.
MSG has a unique flavor but it's not salty, per se. That's why you don't want to use it alone. Or, do you want to use too much of it. It will take over a dish, just like any other seasoning that's over used. And you've expressed it much better than I have -- MSG and flavor enhancers are adaptive. I suppose that's why they're called flavor enhancers. They boost flavors. Thanks so much for this convo, Chris.
Andrea, thanks so much for untangling a very complicated subject. I feel much better about MSG after reading this.
Now I wish you would address the use of sugar in Asian (especially Southeast Asian) cooking--it sometimes seems ubiquitous to us non-Asians and somewhat troubling given dietary advice to avoid sugar as much as possible. Is it traditional? And if not, what does the modern use of sugar replace?
Nancy Harmon Jenkins! Such a pleasure and honor to have you part of PTFS. Happy to demystify MSG a bit. I’m still learning.
Sugar. Sigh. I will address its use in the future. It’s a pet peeve of mine too!
Practically a love letter to MSG. Nice. Thanks, Andrea. I have a can of Ve Tsin that serves as a fabulous accent piece. N ow, I'll start using the contents!
Dorothy -- the can is adorable. I was charmed by it. I recall seeing it in Hong Kong in the early 1990s (I'm a dinosaur) but this was the first time I saw it in the U.S. I don't think MSG goes bad.
Nutritional yeast is a major component in Bensons Table Tasty Salt Substitute. The yeast gives a vegetal flavor that only works with some foods and cakes up and clogs the shaker it’s almost impossible to use in a humid climate such as the upper Midwest.
Indeed, the caking is a major drawback of nutritional yeast. It’s sold as fine and large flakes but I mostly see the fine one.
Thank you for this whole series Andrea. My dad’s on a low-sodium diet so I’ve been exploring how to incorporate MSG (which has even less sodium than Diamond Kosher) into my dishes when I’m cooking for him. Based on this post it seems like the MSG helps amplify any salt in a dish, letting you use less salt overall while also creating a more intense flavor. Is that right?
You're so welcome, Chris. MSG has a sodium attached to the glutamic acid (my basic understanding) so it does amplify the saltiness. But its even more than that, it seems. It triggers a sixth sensory pleasure (umami) that signals a profoundly delicious taste. I often express that as a bold savory-ness. It's the "mmm good" part of eating. So it's more than just being salty. So what MSG and other glutamic acids help us to do is to detect an extra flavor note.
Salt often facilitates savory depth but MSG (or a similar flavor enhancer) is a shortcut to arriving at savory depth with less sodium involved. That's how it can help to reduce overall sodium intake.
I need to work on that explanation, I think. Does that make sense? Be honest. :-)
Yes this makes lots of sense! I ask because when I first got my Ajinomoto MSG a few weeks ago (before I knew the full history of the brand thanks to you) I tried just a few of the crystals plain and I was struck by how profoundly unsalty they tasted on their own. It sounds like what you’re saying is that the umami adds not only its own depth of flavor, but also enhances other flavors, especially saltiness.
MSG has a unique flavor but it's not salty, per se. That's why you don't want to use it alone. Or, do you want to use too much of it. It will take over a dish, just like any other seasoning that's over used. And you've expressed it much better than I have -- MSG and flavor enhancers are adaptive. I suppose that's why they're called flavor enhancers. They boost flavors. Thanks so much for this convo, Chris.