does msg have a place in home cooking?
Discussion
Certainly no harm in playing around with it but it is a shortcut. I experimented with it for a while, it does the job and as an alternative to salt it would have its uses.
Really though, if things need a boost then the problem is with the ingredients or cooking technique or method. In the perfect situation we'd all be cooking wit the finest ingredients, have all the time in the world and be accomplished 3* chefs. In reality a pinch of MSG might be a good answer, just don't overdo it. MSG tastes a bit like salty gelatine and its not pleasant.
Really though, if things need a boost then the problem is with the ingredients or cooking technique or method. In the perfect situation we'd all be cooking wit the finest ingredients, have all the time in the world and be accomplished 3* chefs. In reality a pinch of MSG might be a good answer, just don't overdo it. MSG tastes a bit like salty gelatine and its not pleasant.
I use it sometimes when cooking Chinese food. You don't need a lot to make a big difference, and you can get a lot of enhancement to the savoury flavours of a dish without having to load it with salt or sou sauce. It just enhances what is there rather than being a flavour all of it's own, I find.
The stuff about 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' was just a load of tosh anyway. It's a pretty common ingredient, particularly in snack foods. Maggi's savoury sauce is a good alternative for adding savoury flavour to these dishes.
The stuff about 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' was just a load of tosh anyway. It's a pretty common ingredient, particularly in snack foods. Maggi's savoury sauce is a good alternative for adding savoury flavour to these dishes.
Depending on where you buy it, Maggi's can be chock full of MSG! (I believe some western markets they have taken it out now).
I keep some on hand for Asian cooking. Some dishes don't taste "right" without it, because all restaurants use it. Stir fried greens are one example, and Pho is the other.
MSG is, after all, just 99% seaweed extract and 1% quasi-racist scaremongering about "wot those foreigners put in our food"....
I keep some on hand for Asian cooking. Some dishes don't taste "right" without it, because all restaurants use it. Stir fried greens are one example, and Pho is the other.
MSG is, after all, just 99% seaweed extract and 1% quasi-racist scaremongering about "wot those foreigners put in our food"....
I dont think it makes a great deal of difference, I have used it in asian cooking and then made the same dish without and not really known the difference.
It is everywhere in asia, on the tables with the other condiments, cant say it makes a massive difference there either.
If it was called seaweed flavour enhancer I dont think there would be any controversy over its use, but MSG sounds all scary.
It is everywhere in asia, on the tables with the other condiments, cant say it makes a massive difference there either.
If it was called seaweed flavour enhancer I dont think there would be any controversy over its use, but MSG sounds all scary.
This. MSG is good useful stuff (in the context of flavour). It's not frankenfood or scary or catastrophically bad for you.
I can understand not wanting to eat food containing loads of it, but only in the same way as wanting to avoid food with loads of salt.
There's no need to try to eradicate it from your diet, the level of demonisation is out of proportion to any proven problems with it.
I bloody love the stuff.
I can understand not wanting to eat food containing loads of it, but only in the same way as wanting to avoid food with loads of salt.
There's no need to try to eradicate it from your diet, the level of demonisation is out of proportion to any proven problems with it.
I bloody love the stuff.
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
It sounds like your problem will be a lack of seasoning. Look into how to use season food, there is a thread somewhere where a chef explains it.
I was intrigued, so found it. As expected it was 21TonyK!https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
steveo3002 said:
my home cooking is always bland and nowhere like takeaway /restaurant food
Then you may well find more liberal use of spices, flavourings and seasoning is the answer. In particular the fresher the spices the better. If they are ground spices then grind them yourself (or pestle and mortar if you don't have a grinder).
The Spicery sell meal kits and although they are mostly focussed on Indian cooking they do have oriental options. It is worth trying some of them to learn about the possibilities.
Mobile Chicane said:
Worth an experiment as Tony21K rightfully suggests.
However, aged Parmesan cheese, anchovies, tomatoes, soy sauce, mushrooms and various charcuterie all have the quality of 'umami' or 'savouriness' you might be looking for in MSG.
I read yesterday that cheese and tomotoes both contain naturally-occurring MSG.However, aged Parmesan cheese, anchovies, tomatoes, soy sauce, mushrooms and various charcuterie all have the quality of 'umami' or 'savouriness' you might be looking for in MSG.
nikaiyo2 said:
21TonyK said:
yeah, MSG gives me a headache... not the two bottles of red that went with my chowmein.
Its like cigars always make me really sick. Its nothing to do with the fact that I only smoke cigars when UI have drunk enough to forget that they make me sick . :P Never having garlic mushrooms again, good god they make you poorly.
Absolutely they have a place - it's like asking if 'salt' is needed in home cooking. You have seven senses on your tongue, umami is one of them, and MSG is the prototypical salt trigger for it.
But... use glutamates rather than MSG per se.
Sold e.g. as umami paste, but I wouldn't use that specific thing as it usually has cheese in. All purpose savoury seasoning from Sharwoods is a simple example of something, but you could also use anchovy paste.
I don't think pure MSG particularly great.
But... use glutamates rather than MSG per se.
Sold e.g. as umami paste, but I wouldn't use that specific thing as it usually has cheese in. All purpose savoury seasoning from Sharwoods is a simple example of something, but you could also use anchovy paste.
I don't think pure MSG particularly great.
sean ie3 said:
I don't think MSG has a place in cooking at all
Why? It is a perfectly legitimate ingredient when used correctly, the same as salt or sugar. The demonisation of it is really just down to ignorance of what it actually is, or indeed, what it isn't. Sorted Food did a video about it a while ago:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9kWt3QFqQw
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