What is MSG?

[gogoblender 3,070]

Just did some reading on msg...fascinating!

 

Taken from:

 

http://www.glutamate.org/media/glutamate.htm

 

The First Steps

 

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Professor Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University was thinking about the taste of food: "There is a taste which is common to asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat but which is not one of the four well-known tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and salty."

 

 

It was in 1907 that Professor Ikeda started his experiments to identify what the source of this distinctive taste was. He knew that it was present in the "broth" made from kombu (a type of seaweed) found in traditional Japanese cuisine. Starting with a tremendous quantity of kombu broth, he succeeded in extracting crystals of glutamic acid (or glutamate). Glutamate is an amino acid, and is a building block of protein. Professor Ikeda found that glutamate had a distinctive taste, different from sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and he named it "umami". 100 grams of dried kombu contain about 1 gram of glutamate.

 

A New Product

 

Professor Ikeda decided to make a seasoning using his newly-isolated glutamate. To be used as seasoning, glutamate had to have some of the same physical characteristics which are found, for example, in sugar and salt: it had to be easily soluble in water but neither absorb humidity nor solidify. Professor Ikeda found that monosodium glutamate had good storage properties and a strong umami or savoury taste. It turned out to be an ideal seasoning. Because monosodium glutamate has no smell or specific texture of its own, it can be used in many different dishes where it naturally enhances the original flavor of the food.

 

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. yeah yeah I know it's spin..but isn't it so interesting? I'm just happy I have no adverse reactions to the stuff. It's not as coarse in my throat as salt...and boy does it ever taste good!

[Funkilicious 1]

And still Gogo, it is one additive that I stay clear of, actually warnings are on products here in Australia if it is included and if not it is clearly shown on the packet that there is NO MSG.

[gogoblender 3,070]

Heya Funki!

Yes, we have huge warnings above buffet tables in chinese restaurants all saying no msg in big bold letters. As well, msg warnings must by law be on food.

 

I had forgotten that I had a bottle of this stuff from so long ago and was using it to bring out the savory fllavors in dishes. My friend's wife has a huge negative response to msg and so we all have to be careful when doing potlucks and stuff.

Lucky....I'm okay with this salt substitute, and so, it seems, is my family.

 

Whew!

 

 

gogo

[Silearth 6]

MSG is evil! Evil, I tell you!

 

Having said that, I used to keep a little jar hidden in the back of my spice cabinet.....just in case.

 

Can't get the chili to taste good? Look over the shoulder....no one is looking....toss in the MSG.

 

These days I've learned to make chili without those evil little crystals.

[Funkilicious 1]

Until I read this thread, , I have never heard anyone knowingly and purposely add it to their food.

[gogoblender 3,070]

It's a very powerful seasoning. It was invented to replicate one of the human tongue's tastes...umami...the protein tooth. There has been conjecture that the sweet tooth helps us find carbohydrates, which the brain needs. Our ability to distinguish very powerful bitter or salty to keep us safe from poison. It's the the fifth taste, the one that makes us crave meats (the taste receptors finally being identified here) ...the protein tooth...which leads us to cheese, really well cooked spaghetti sauces, red wines, wild meats. There was an umami restaurant that opened up in New York a few years ago where everything had an extra umamiish taste...brought about by natural slow cooking. I read another story somewhere where some japanese wine tasters had come to America and kept asking their American colleagues to identify this particular "taste". Up to that point, only salty, sweet, bitter and no taste existed.

Enter Umami.

Enter MSG.

This thread's making me drool...you guys look away okay...just gotta reach into my cupboard...

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. got any extra leftover Sil...

[myles 2]

You are probably going to ignore me, but stay away from the stuff gogo. Think about it, you ain't gonna eat anything if you ruin your stomach!

 

Someone save him!

[gogoblender 3,070]

What was that Myles?

 

gogo

[Funkilicious 1]

Beyond saving it seems Myles

Edited October 11, 2007 by Funkilicious

[Borg 0]

Remember Gogo a previous thread about salt and my comments on a product called realsalt?

A good sign, epically if your eating chinese food that it has monosodium glutamate is if you get a head ache later Thats one of the commen side effectsmonosodium glutamate

[EvilMale 7]

I would have to agree there are other ways of naturally bringing out the flavors of food. Especially MEAT slow cooking tends to bring out the taste in meat and is way better for you in the long run MSG IS EVOL

[Delta! 987]

Just did some reading on msg...fascinating!

 

Taken from:

 

http://www.glutamate.org/media/glutamate.htm

 

The First Steps

 

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Professor Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University was thinking about the taste of food: "There is a taste which is common to asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat but which is not one of the four well-known tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and salty."

 

 

It was in 1907 that Professor Ikeda started his experiments to identify what the source of this distinctive taste was. He knew that it was present in the "broth" made from kombu (a type of seaweed) found in traditional Japanese cuisine. Starting with a tremendous quantity of kombu broth, he succeeded in extracting crystals of glutamic acid (or glutamate). Glutamate is an amino acid, and is a building block of protein. Professor Ikeda found that glutamate had a distinctive taste, different from sweet, sour, bitter and salty, and he named it "umami". 100 grams of dried kombu contain about 1 gram of glutamate.

 

A New Product

 

Professor Ikeda decided to make a seasoning using his newly-isolated glutamate. To be used as seasoning, glutamate had to have some of the same physical characteristics which are found, for example, in sugar and salt: it had to be easily soluble in water but neither absorb humidity nor solidify. Professor Ikeda found that monosodium glutamate had good storage properties and a strong umami or savoury taste. It turned out to be an ideal seasoning. Because monosodium glutamate has no smell or specific texture of its own, it can be used in many different dishes where it naturally enhances the original flavor of the food.

 

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. yeah yeah I know it's spin..but isn't it so interesting? I'm just happy I have no adverse reactions to the stuff. It's not as coarse in my throat as salt...and boy does it ever taste good!

 

 

MSG is not all bad. I went to a Public lecture on understanding food and dispensing common "myths" about cooking, presented by Professor Peter Barham.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Barham

 

He surprised everyone by asking "who for example thinks that MSG is bottled evil?" almost everyone said it was, and he replied, that it is the media and people who aren't properly informed who says that. MSG is natural in foods like Asparagus, tomatoes, and especially cheese! so I asked if it is required in a diet and he replied "absolutely! BUT, not too much. If you eat a diet very similar to Italians, then you should not add more to your food, because the tomatoes and cheese contains enough, and if you eat a diet more similar to Asian foods, where cheese and tomatoes are not commonly eaten, then yes it is necessary to add some, as it helps develop the mind especially for young children!"

[lujate 578]

Many studies later, toxicologists have concluded that MSG is a harmless ingredient for most people, even in large amounts.

from On Food And Cooking: The Science And Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee (a book that is absolutely a requirement for all foodie geeks).

[Genenut 8]

I beg to differ. MSG has known history of triggering or exacerbating asthma attacks. For most MSG is not harmful. If you have asthma, it can be deadly.

[czevak 57]

Lucky....I'm okay with this salt substitute, and so, it seems, is my family.

 

Keep in mind that it also contains sodium, like salt (which is sodium chloride), and is not a salt substitute for those who should reduce their salt consumption because of hypertension.

 

Other than that: As long as you don't gobble yourself sick on the stuff and reach renal failure, you are safe. (Food allergies to MSG like the aforementioned excluded ofc.)

[gogoblender 3,070]

I take it in moderation. Cool thing is I absolutely adore Umami flavors (The taste of MSG) , mushrooms, tomatoe sauce, sardines, smelly cheese... I find that just by adding small amounts of those ingredients you get a powerful boost to foods of earthy, meaty tasty flavors.

 

Oh

 

I do have a bottle of msg in my closet, I sprinkle it sparingly on foods when I don't have the time to cook something long enough to release Umami flavors.

 

 

gogo

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

MSG absolutely knocks me out cold... it's like the craziest sleeping drug to me. It's funny what foods have MSG in them too... I bought Planter's roasted peanuts the other day at work, and ate two handfuls of them... half an hour later I could barely keep my eyes open... check the ingredients, sure enough, MSG.... booooo haha.

[gogoblender 3,070]

I've never heard of MSG being a sleep aid thing! Not being able to sleep is a big issue for a lot of folks. Maybe eating salted peanuts before bed could be useful^^

 

 

gogo

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

I've never heard of MSG being a sleep aid thing! Not being able to sleep is a big issue for a lot of folks. Maybe eating salted peanuts before bed could be useful^^

 

 

gogo

 

Haha! I almost held on to the peanuts for just that reason! Decided to give em away though... no point in cramming stuff into my body that it doesn't like. I've heard some pretty crazy stuff about MSG but never bothered to really look into it. Seems safest to just leave it alone IMO. Call that ignorance, maybe?

[gogoblender 3,070]

Here's the funny thing. Sleep aids, the stuff that you can get in the pharmacy, are just newly marketed side effect of cough/cold medication.

 

Rogaine, a newly marketed side effect for a heart medication.

 

Bad, good strange, wild, new, contemporary truths, lol..I get so confused!

 

 

gogo