Archive for August 25, 2026
Watch Out For MSG – You Might Miss It!
by John Weckerle
While working on my AI-assisted NEPA review project this morning, I listened to The Splendid Table, which featured an author who had written a book on cooking with cooking with instant Ramen. Among the items discussed were the history of ramen, how it is prepared, and how it can be used other than just putting it in hot water.
I opened up a new chat with the AI. Eventually, I asked about monosodium glutamate (MSG), and what I learned was both intriquing and surprising.
MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid naturally present in many foods. In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda isolated the substance responsible for the distinctive savory taste of kombu seaweed broth. He called the taste umami—roughly “savory” or “delicious.” When dissolved, it separates into sodium and glutamate. Glutamate is a normal dietary substance, and is present in many food sources. Examples include parmesan, tomatoes, mushrooms, soy sauce, anchovies and seaweed. In fact, humans have been concentrating glutamate since long before it was discovered. Examples:
- Japan: kombu, miso, soy sauce
- China: fermented soy products and sauces
- Italy: Parmesan and tomatoes
- Southeast Asia: fish sauce
- Britain: Worcestershire sauce
- Western cooking generally: aged cheese, cured meats, stocks and concentrated meat juices
In 1968, a doctor named Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to The New England Journal of Medicine describing sensations experienced after eating at Chinese restaurants, naming MSG as one of several potential sources (not as the only possible cause). Some questionable animal experiments involved injecting mice with MSG in quantities far greater than normal consumption, which resulted in neurological disorders. In addition to the high concentration, this sidestepped the digestive process. Subsequent, better-designed studies found no correlation between MSG and any problems, except for minor symptoms reported by individuals who self-identified as MSG-sensitive.
As it turns out, MSG can actually help reduce sodium: MSG contains about 12% sodium by weight (about 130-140 mg per 1/4 teaspoon) compared to table salt’s 39% (roughly 575-600 mg per 1/4 teaspoon) – and with the umami provided by the glutamate.
It’s amazing how bad science can affect beliefs for such a long time. This is very similar to what happened with testing of cyclamates, and of course the so-called study that spurred vaccine hesitancy. I’ve been avoiding/limiting MSG for decades. I’m going to give it a try now.
Update: I bought some MSG and took a tiny taste. What a great flavor! I can’t wait to try cooking with it. Continued research shows that it’s sometimes used in combination with salt, which has its own job to do in affecting how we perceive tastes – suppressing some bitterness and enhancing sweetness and aroma perception. I rarely use salt and only sparingly when I do, as I generally build flavor with spices, but I’ll probably try some recipes with both although I’ll almost certainly will use less salt than most recipes include.