MSG - Monosodium Glutamate?

[keltin]

Ever think about the taste senses that are recognized and how we cook with them?

Salty – Add salt or sodium chloride
Sour – Citric Acid and vinegars
Sweet – sugar, syrup. Etc.
Bitter – rinds, etc,

And the fifth:

Umami – Glutamates……MSG (savory)

When you look at it, we cook with every taste sensory in mind except Umami (savory), yet the US diet utilizes savory dishes up to 90% of the time and doesn’t think of the Umamai seasoning.

Adding a salt or an acid seems common place….but adding an Umami element? Weird?

Interesting.

[qmax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rom I've never used it and never seen it sold. Quite a few restaurants are advertising "MSG Free"

Ever seen "Accent"? MSG.

[jennyema]

Quote:

Originally Posted by keltin When you look at it, we cook with every taste sensory in mind except Umami (savory), yet the US diet utilizes savory dishes up to 90% of the time and doesn’t think of the Umamai seasoning. .

Not sure how you can say that.

Cooks have been focusing on umami for hundreds of years. Think soy sauce, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, etc. They may not have had the benefit of the scientific research that established it as the 5th Taste, but they knew intuitively that it existed.

Ingredients that enhance umami are very commonplace in many recipes. They have been utilized either deliberately because the chef or cook knows that it is something that will add to umami or because they just know that a hit of soy sauce makes something taste better.

Many chefs and home cooks keep it in mind all the time -- I know I do. And even if a home cook doesn't keep it in mind, they are often following recipes that deliberately use umami ingredients.

[keltin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennyema Not sure how you can say that. Cooks have been focusing on umami for hundreds of years. Think soy sauce, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, etc. They may not have had the benefit of the scientific research that established it as the 5th Taste, but they knew intuitively that it existed. Ingredients that enhance umami are very commonplace in many recipes. They have been utilized either deliberately because the chef or cook knows that it is something that will add to umami or because they just know that a hit of soy sauce makes something taste better. Many chefs and home cooks keep it in mind all the time -- I know I do. And even if a home cook doesn't keep it in mind, they are often following recipes that deliberately use umami ingredients.

I'm sure trained cooks have. I was speaking of the average person that is so concerned that things be "MSG Free" and wouldn't dream of using a jar of Accent or plain MSG powder to flavor a savory dish. But those same ones use salt for salty, sugar for sweet, etc. The point being, MSG is an additive that targets a taste receptor just as salt does. No need to fear it.

[jennyema]

You made a broad claim about Umami:

"When you look at it, we cook with every taste sensory in mind except Umami (savory), yet the US diet utilizes savory dishes up to 90% of the time and doesn’t think of the Umamai seasoning. . "

That's what I am disputing.

Umami does not = "Accent"

Umami is a flavor sensation having to do with glutamates in food. Glutimates occur in all kinds of foods naturally.

You can up the umami level in foods very easily without MSG simply by using the myriad of foods that have naturally occurring glutimates.

Cooks have either deliberately or innately cooked with umami in mind for hundreds of years. Including very average home cooks and even novice cooks -- when they follow a recipe that uses paremsan cheese as an underlying flavor.

A great many people "think of the umami seasoning" when cooking but would never using Accent or added MSG.

Accent increases Umami, but you Umami absolutely does not mean "Accent."

[Cajun Cook]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I want my Umami!!!!

[Green Lady]

I believe MSG is considered a neurotoxin. The way it works is that it doesn't improve the flavor of the food or, as the Accent commercials used to say, bring out the flavor of food. Instead it TRICKS the brain into thinking the food is better than it actually is.

A friend's father was a researcher for a large food company. He brought home MSG when it was first being used in commercial foods. What he brought home was pure, unadulterated, "industrial" strength MSG. They used it liberally on steaks and other foods. After a few months her father removed it from their home saying that this was going to kill the American people. A year later my friend, who was 15 at this time, began suffering from mental illness. She has had a history of depression and has been on meds most of her adult life.

Something to consider.....

[Andy M.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green Lady I believe MSG is considered a neurotoxin. The way it works is that it doesn't improve the flavor of the food or, as the Accent commercials used to say, bring out the flavor of food. Instead it TRICKS the brain into thinking the food is better than it actually is. A friend's father was a researcher for a large food company. He brought home MSG when it was first being used in commercial foods. What he brought home was pure, unadulterated, "industrial" strength MSG. They used it liberally on steaks and other foods. After a few months her father removed it from their home saying that this was going to kill the American people. A year later my friend, who was 15 at this time, began suffering from mental illness. She has had a history of depression and has been on meds most of her adult life. Something to consider.....

In my opinion, it's a real stretch to link MSG with one person's mental illness.

Not to mention I don't think you have the physiology of MSG correct.

[keltin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennyema You made a broad claim about Umami: "When you look at it, we cook with every taste sensory in mind except Umami (savory), yet the US diet utilizes savory dishes up to 90% of the time and doesn’t think of the Umamai seasoning. . " That's what I am disputing. Umami does not = "Accent" Umami is a flavor sensation having to do with glutamates in food. Glutimates occur in all kinds of foods naturally. You can up the umami level in foods very easily without MSG simply by using the myriad of foods that have naturally occurring glutimates. Cooks have either deliberately or innately cooked with umami in mind for hundreds of years. Including very average home cooks and even novice cooks -- when they follow a recipe that uses paremsan cheese as an underlying flavor. A great many people "think of the umami seasoning" when cooking but would never using Accent or added MSG. Accent increases Umami, but you Umami absolutely does not mean "Accent."

You can play semantics all day if you like. I’d thought the simple picture was clear. Use a condiment called salt for salty taste. Use a condiment called MSG for umami. Why is that so hard for you? I’m speaking of using condiments, and you are simply running in circles looking for a technical verbiage loophole to pick a fight. Whatever.

[GB]

Keltin it is not semantics. You made a statement that was completely untrue. Jenny showed you such. You then took that as her fighting with you. We are not going to go down this road again. This topic needs to get back to MSG now or this thread will be locked.