Why is the flavor enhancer, MSG vilified in the US while it’s popular in Japan?
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Anonymous
| I grew up eating Japanese food and they actually shake the MSG into everything, from bbq to stews. It’s supposed to give it an extra boost to flavors. It’s sold as Ajinomoto and comes in a salt shaker. They never complain about getting the MSG headaches. Do people really get them? |
Anonymous
| I definitely think I get headaches and sometimes G.I. issues like bloating and cramps from MSG. But I get it from other things too. Like I throw up when I eat mushrooms, which have a lot of MSG |
Anonymous
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I am Japanese and no, we are moving away from MSG - it's just still very present, because it's more ingrained in Asian foods than in western cuisine. Non-MSG or organic Japanese foodstuffs are hard to find outside of Japan, but when you go there, you can find lots of products without MSG. Here I go to H-Mart and buy the MSG-free furikake, and I can find some Korean products without MSG. |
Anonymous
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It’s racism.
I think it also ties into the idea of ‘eating naturally.’ MSG seems like a chemical added to food, which… it is. And added chemicals aren’t en vogue. |
Anonymous
| I think it’s idiotic when the same people are gushing over Tj’s mushroom umami seasoning and microplane Parmesan cheese over everything. And yes, racism. |
Anonymous
| Racism, ignorance, and general stupidity. MSG is great and it is not bad for you |
Anonymous
| Racism |
Anonymous
| When I eat something with msg in it, I get a rapid heartbeat, headache and a terrible stomach ache, which leads to diarrhea. |
Anonymous
| Is that the reason Maggi cubes were villified? |
Anonymous
So you don’t eat things like Doritos, mushrooms, Parmesan, ketchup, bbq sauce? |
Anonymous
psychosomatic. |
Anonymous
Also soy sauce, lunch meat, ranch, pringles, pepperoni, bacon, Campbell’s soup… |
Anonymous
NP here. I definitely get heacaches from MSG (and aspartame). I avoid all MSG foods like Doritos and sauces with it added. I don't eat many mushrooms, but don't like them much so maybe that is why -- never knew they occurred naturally. I love all Asian food, and am married to an Asian person, FWIW. |
Anonymous
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My mom is one of the people who freaks out about MSG. I showed her that Vox article and she shrugged it off. The thing is, I don't think she personally is being racist when she says MSG affects her. She's lived in Asia, loves all kinds of food, and definitely doesn't have any other weird racist attitudes about Asian food. But she's convinced MSG gives her migraines and impacts her heart rate. I think it's psychosomatic. She's a bit of a hypochondriac slash Munchausen's patient. She has a million maladies and some are real but some definitely aren't, or her approach to them is ridiculous and has nothing to do with medicine. I think being precious about MSG is part of this. And this is someone who will happily eat all kinds of fast food and processed foods, which of course are loaded with chemicals. I think it's just that she always feels a little bad or uncomfortable, and someone told her once that MSG can cause these vague symptoms she always seems to have, and she perceives herself as having a kind of delicate constitution anyway, so this got added to her list of "food sensitivities".
Anyway, sorry folks -- the science does not back up the idea that MSG has any physiological side effects at all. And it's delicious! I think mostly it bothers people that it's called "MSG" instead of, like, "cumin". Sounds corporate and chemical-y! |