One of my favorite vegetarian dishes here in Vietnam is "dau hou chien xa", fried tofu & lemongrass. It's pretty yummy, but most of the flavor comes from MSG. They rub it into the tofu before frying it. I've always heard that MSG was bad for you, but I never really knew why - or even what MSG really is.Wikipedia says that MSG is made from fermented carbohydrates, usually from wheat. The article says that: In the 2004 version of his book, On Food and Cooking, food scientist Harold McGee states that "[after many studies], toxicologists have concluded that MSG is a harmless ingredient for most people, even in large amounts."
The Truth in Labeling website published an article that says that 25% of the population have alergic reactions to the food additive. Several other websites seem to imply that the danger of MSG lies in an alergic reaction, rather than it being bad for your health in general. Those who are alergic have symptoms such as headaches or indigestion.
Does anyone else have more information on MSG?
4 comments:
Monosodium gultamate is frequently used in Asian cooking. It's a naturally occurring compound that used to be derived from certain kinds of seaweed, but is now produced in pure crystalline form by fermentation. Tomatoes contain naturally high levels of MSG.
I've never believed the assertions that MSG is a poison. There is no scientific substantiation. I think that if you don't have a reaction to MSG, it's okay to consume it in moderation. Those on low sodium diets should know about its sodium content.
I'm Vinh
I can cook that tofu
It's really good
I think that MSG is really common in Vn cuz' my falily always use this in every meal.
Your avatar is kool =.="
Hmm, i'm not surprised. MSG goes the way of salt which also used to be bad for you. Those nutty scientists! :)
I'll tell you what MSG is... it's (*^$@!ing delicious. When you go home and wonder why the Asian dishes aren't quite as exciting as you remember them, it'll be partly due to the stale produce, and partly due to the lack of MSG. Millions of people eat MSG as their primary salt every day and live longer than AMericans, so I'm not too worried. Of course, it is salty as a landlocked sailor, and back in Shanghai some lazy chefs would fail to completely dissolve it in their fried rice. It can definitely be overused... ~_~
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