Many Americans Have Villainized MSG — And Now It's Making A Comeback

There is no such thing as “Chinese restaurant syndrome,” experts say — so why do Asian chefs have to keep telling us that?

After years of defensively touting “No MSG” on their menus, many Asians working in the food industry are not only fighting back against stereotyping of this heritage ingredient — they’re proudly featuring monosodium glutamate, or MSG, on their menus. If you like to eat authentic Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese or Korean food, your taste buds are likely already familiar with MSG, since all those cultures regularly use it in cooking.

MSG is a naturally occurring kind of salt, described scientifically as the “sodium salt of the common amino acid glutamic acid.” It’s present in our bodies and in many glutamate-rich foods like soy sauce, anchovies, tomatoes and cheese.

Chefs use it as a flavor enhancer for both savory and sweet menu items since it provides a punch of pure umami, one of the five tastes that also include sweet, sour, salty and bitter. According to MSG manufacturer Aji-no-moto, umami means “delicious savory taste” in Japanese, and its taste is often described as the meaty, savory quality that deepens flavor. It can also be used as a way to reduce salt in a dish, since MSG contains approximately 12% sodium vs. 40% sodium in salt.

More umami and less sodium? It’s no wonder places like Mission Chinese in San Francisco have put MSG shakers next to the salt and pepper. There’s even one line of hard seltzer, Lunar, which advertises “a pinch of MSG” in some of its drinks.

How Asian chefs feel about the dark ‘No MSG’ days of yore.