MSG is a magic powder that makes everything taste more like itself, including that bag of Doritos
For as long as I can remember, since I was old enough to doodle on the backs of menus at my parents' Chinese takeout restaurant after school, I've been hearing emphatic requests for "no MSG." Eventually my mom started leaving it out of her own home cooking, going along with the collective feeling that the tiny pinches used were somehow gunpowder in our growing bodies. Even she wasn't immune to the negative propaganda that created Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.
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We have a funny history of demonizing food here in America, assigning virtues like "good" and "evil" to ingredients or even macronutrients. For instance, the artificial sweeteners people were so excited about a few decades ago currently sit in the doghouse with dairy milk, gluten, and carbohydrates, while the former enemy of the '80s and '90s, fat, is now the hottest macro on the market. Flip-flopped trends just go to show that all things are cyclical.
Despite the xenophobic and racist propaganda that has surrounded MSG, it is finally starting to get its due in Western culture. As MSG continues its resurgence, new and creative ways to use it have also emerged. For instance, the MSG Martini at Bonnie's in Brooklyn has been a runaway hit, and is part responsible for the rising curiosity in this shelf-stable flavor bomb. And a MSG spiked Banana Margarita, at Baltimore's Coral Wig, confirms this isn't just a one-off trend.
MSG is an acronym for monosodium glutamate, the full chemical name for a combination of sodium and glutamic acid, the latter of which is a common amino acid, a building block of protein.
"Glutamic acid is the substance that our bodies interpret as umami in MSG," explains Christopher Koetke, Corporate Executive Chef for Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. Tastewise, Koetke says, "The simplest way I would define [MSG] is that it's the purest form of umami, which is the fifth taste. It gives food a deep savoriness that persists on the palate." This characteristic is what makes anything with it so addictingly delicious and crave-inducing. It helps awaken the pleasure in eating.
Asian sauce giant Lee Kum Kee's Corporate Chef, Chris Kumura adds, "[Glutamic acid] naturally occurs in foods such as eggs, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and anchovies; also aged or fermented products like Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, soy sauce, and kimchi." The glutamate in foods like broccoli and in nuts like walnuts also explains why they're so tasty when toasted up.
While certain foods share the glutamic acid compound with MSG, when it was first made (over a century ago in Japan), MSG was originally derived from kelp. "Today, at Ajinomoto, we use an advanced fermentation technology that utilizes local sources of sugar. In the USA, Iowa corn is the starting material. In other countries, ingredients like sugar beets, tapioca, or sugar cane are used." Once the glutamate is extracted from these foods and added to sodium, it's chemically indistinguishable from what we find naturally in animal and plant proteins.
Contrary to popular belief, MSG is not an ingredient exclusive to Chinese food. Chef Kimura says, "You may see it listed as an ingredient in things like dashi bases, curry sauces, chili sauces, and imported products. It's also an essential ingredient in the much-loved Kewpie Mayonnaise. It gives it a great depth of flavor."
Kim Pham, founder of "proud and loud" pan-Asian food brand Omsom, points out that MSG isn't exclusive to East Asian cuisines, either. You'll find it in seasonings like sazon blends, too, which are hallmarks for Hispanic, Latin, and Caribbean flavors.
As for myself, I learned of its widespread Western use early on. My mother was a diligent label-reader, so she was quick to recognize it in beloved American staples. Canned soups, boxed mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, broths, potato chip seasonings, Doritos, hot dogs, jerky, cured meats, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, spice blends and rubs, and frozen entrees. the list goes on. . MSG is also a critical element of manufactured foods that boast "low-sodium."
In ingredient lists, you may find MSG labeled as: sodium glutamate, glutamic acid, monosodium salt, monohydrate, L-Glutamic acid, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, vegetable extract, or even the catch-all "natural flavors."
Brands like KFC, Burger King, and Chick-fil-A are not above hedging bets for their menu's success with MSG, either. These and other chains use it as a secret ingredient that gives everything savory an extra oomph. While MSG is not the bomb to our health we were all brainwashed to believe a couple of decades ago, it certainly is a flavor bomb.
"Because of its ability to increase flavor perception, it can be looked at as a health aid if the goal is reducing salt intake while retaining flavor," Kimura remarks. Koetke advises, "Try replacing salt in food with a mix of 2/3 salt and 1/3 MSG. It makes food taste amazing and reduces sodium by 25%."
Traditional uses for MSG include adding it to scrambled eggs, soups, cooking sauces for stir-fry, dipping or finishing sauces like chili crisp, or fried rice. It's also commonly used in meat blends for dumplings, wontons, or meatballs.
At this point, it might be easier to ask what wouldn't benefit from a little MSG ? As it finally starts to clear its undeserved bad press, it seems the only thing MSG doesn't pair well with is fear.
As a general rule, "It works well in items that are already savory that have many complex flavors working together," Kimura says.
Kimura is excited about the prospect of MSG-ified cocktails catching on. "Imagine, a Bloody Mary with kimchi, sriracha, and MSG!"
In addition to a sprinkle in your next dirty martini, as they do at Bonnie's, Koetke recommends rimming your next spicy margarita with an MSG and Tajin blend.
Kimura is excited about the prospect of MSG dusted French fries. "How about Blackened 'Chicken' fries? French fries dusted in a mix of chicken [bouillon], blackening spice, and MSG"?
Along those snacky lines, The Spruce Eats editor Kristin Stangl suggests, "If you like parmesan popcorn, try MSG sprinkled on your buttered popcorn instead," something Pham calls "a truly sensational experience."
MSG plays well with sweets, too. "I've seen a lot of new chocolate chip cookies that have been incorporating miso or gochujang in their mixes. Adding MSG along with some flaky sea salt [to your regular cookie dough recipe] gives your taste buds sweet, salty, and umami all at once," Koetke observes.
Pham suggests, "Try sprinkling MSG onto fresh fruit to toss into salads. It pairs very well with watermelon on a fresh summer salad - simultaneously sweet and savory."
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