MSG Umami - got some, going to try it. Tips?

[Don]

Right. At the Chinese supermarket I got some "super-seasoning" MSG.

I'm going to try it in a couple of dishes tonight.

Am I right that one should be very, very, VERY sparing with it? I have seen recipes with a 1/4 teaspoon to 500g of stuff it's going to flavour.

I know some people believe they get a bad reaction from it - but I don't so I'm not worried about that.

[ItsTony]

MSG is a flavour enhancer and even though it has a taste on its own, it supposed to work with salt to enhance taste. I would say play around with it, but maybe 1/4 to 1/3 to 1 part salt. It gets to the point that when you add more it doesn't actually have a stronger taste like all other spices. Too much and you just get thirsty.

[Pferdestarke]

I have a bag of it and have tried it in things such as batters and gravies. It does give a more rounded, savoury flavour to things but you won't notice it in the same way as say, adding highly flavoured herbs and spices.

Prepare to wake up with prune fingers and take a pint of water to bed with you.

Let us know how you get on Don.

[Don]

Thanks for that, both of you.

I will be careful. I have heard of the "MSG hangover": is this because it is a diuretic and dehydrates the body?

[Pferdestarke]

Don said:

I have heard of the "MSG hangover": is this because it is a diuretic and dehydrates the body?

Could well be. The owners of my local Chinese supermarket said that they no longer use it at home as many Chinese people have taken to using chicken powder, or stock as a substitute. I've not checked the ingredients but it wouldn't surprise me if that contained MSG too.

At least when using it in its raw form you have greater control over flavour.

[Podie]

I think the best piece of advice that I can give you here, is to invite me over for dinner.

[Don]

Podie said:

I think the best piece of advice that I can give you here, is to invite me over for dinner.

If you're passing through, Podders...

[Podie]

Don said:

Podie said:

I think the best piece of advice that I can give you here, is to invite me over for dinner.

If you're passing through, Podders...

Plenty of info on t'internet if you Google the "MSG hangover"... although most of it is

[otolith]

There are other ingredients very high in free glutamate; some are listed here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10...

[Mobile Chicane]

MSG gives me palpitations, so I don't use it.

However I find that the character of umami ('savouriness') can be achieved using dried wild mushrooms finely ground to a powder.

Try this as a flavour enhancer to any soup or stew.

[otolith]

Thing is, dried mushrooms are chock full of glutamate.

[Mobile Chicane]

otolith said:

Thing is, dried mushrooms are chock full of glutamate.

For some reason I'm ok with anything I've made myself with dried mushrooms, or soy / fish sauce.

However I've had unpleasant reactions to Chinese / Indian food in restaurants. Maybe it's the amount of MSG used.

[otolith]

Makes me wonder whether the problem is actually MSG or something else they are putting in the food - colouring perhaps?

[Don]

Bunged some MSG into my Wings seasoning flour.

Very savoury.

But no substitute for more Peri Peri and lots of salt.

My Gado Gado salad on the other hand will get a pic in the "Photo of your dinner" thread tomorrow...

Mmmmmmm.

[uncinqsix]

otolith said:

Makes me wonder whether the problem is actually MSG or something else they are putting in the food - colouring perhaps?

Almost certainly. The article you linked to above and the Jeffrey Steingarten piece it refers to (in his book "It must have been something I ate," which is a cracking read btw), talks about how no scientist has actually been able to demonstrate a link between MSG and the so-called "chinese restaurant syndrome." The glutemate in tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan etc is (as far as the body is concerned) chemically identical to the glutemate in MSG.

[Pete Baraka]

Mobile Chicane said:

However I find that the character of umami ('savouriness') can be achieved using dried wild mushrooms finely ground to a powder.

Umami is all over the news today - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddri... - Available in a tube from Waitrose next week. Curious ... may need further investigation ...

Pete

[Don]

I've read about this Umami paste. Note how careful they are to avoid saying "monosodium glutamate". Instead "glutamate" or "glutamates" gets bandied about. But it's the same stuff.

Well I've been using my MSG. Shook some into some noodles last night. They were delicious.

No adverse reactions...although I AM being reasonably careful with it.

[dcw@pr]

I heard about the paste on R4 this morning, made me chickle. they were saying how amazing it was that there was a 5th taste and now you were going to be able to buy it in shops. My mums tells me that in the '50s when she grew up in America you could buy a product called "Accent" which was MSG, and I (and others here obviously) have a tub of MSG in the kitchen.

Looks like slow work from the media, or more likely, good work from the Waitrose PR department.

PS the chinese restaurant syndrome is blatant BS

[otolith]

article said:

Laura Santtini, who developed the purée, which includes pulped anchovy and porcini mushrooms

So not all that revolutionary, really...

[dcw@pr]

article said:

Waitrose said: "It's only recently that a tangible product related to the fifth taste has become available. We believe our customers will relish the chance to explore it."