The controversial cooking ingredient
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a popular flavor enhancer to be added to many Asian dishes, processed meats, and canned food.According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is generally “safe”. However, over the years, the FDA has received many reports of reactions to food containing MSG – known as MSG symptoms:
- Headache
- Flushing
- Sweating
- Facial pressure or tightness
- Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
- Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Weakness
Ugly truth about the use of MSG in many Asian restaurants
I used to work in 3 Chinese restaurants back in Switzerland for 4 years from 2008; and I have leant a simple trick to sell more and more drink in the restaurant => add a lot of MSG to the dishes, that will make the customer feel very very thirsty (I try to eat those dishes myself and you probably can predict the outcome). I come back to Vietnam, do some sort of travel and try many dishes all over the country (I am sort of food tourist). Again, I recognize in Vietnam, we use the same trick to force our client to buy more drink. |
| Add a lot of MSG to the dishes will make customers feel thirsty |
TIPS from my own experience
1. Do not use MSG for your cooking, use seasoning powder instead – still giving flavor.2. If you “have” to eat out, ask the chef not to put MSG in your food.
3. If you feel the taste – slightly salty & sweet – by the middle of your tongue => you are having MSG in your food.
4. Many “Pho” restaurant use MSG (excessively) to make the soup taste better without spend lot of money on buying pork/ beef bones. Check the water of your “Pho” soup, if it clear but still taste good => they do put MSG. The “Pho” with opaque soup are safer to each.
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| Be careful with clear-soup "Pho" |
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