Good article in the New York Times about MSG. Apparently the whole Chinese Restaurant Syndrome is a myth (and has been shown to be so for a number of years). It’s sort of interesting how quickly the MSG scare started and how persistent it has been. I have friends and relatives who swear that they can detect MSG in foods, but I wonder whether they are sensitive to “hydrolyzed soy protein” or “autolyzed yeast,” which are aliases for the dreaded MSG (and which are found in a surprising number of foods)? As a big fan of umami (as is anyone with a decent set of taste buds), I wonder if we can begin to use it again in home cooking to improve dishes that maybe don’t have the quality of ingredients that one might like.
Something to say?