Why chefs are finally getting the MSG
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
For years, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has had a bad rap. The flavour enhancer used in many Asian cultures was thought to trigger physical complaints including headaches, numbness and palpitations known as “Chinese restaurant syndrome”. The risks of MSG have largely been debunked yet the stigma remains.
Now a growing number of chefs and influencers are arguing that this seasoning, which looks a bit like sugar and occurs naturally in tomatoes, parmesan cheese and mushrooms, belongs on every cook’s counter. With a third of the sodium of salt, MSG may also be a healthy alternative.
At Bonnie’s in Brooklyn, Chinese-American chef Calvin Eng has made MSG the star in his MSG Martini (a take on the Dirty Martini made with Shaoxing rice wine instead of vermouth). It also features in dishes including the char siu rib sandwich and Chinese ranch-dressed salt and pepper squid. “MSG brings savouriness and umami. It makes you salivate and want more of something,” says Eng, who sports an MSG tattoo on his arm (pictured top).
In his new book, Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home (Random House), Eng offers ways to incorporate MSG into home cooking. He recommends the widely available Japanese brand Ajinomoto – whose granules are coarser than other varieties and easier to work with – and starting with a taste test if you’ve never used MSG before. “Try it with broth or soup. Have one serving without seasoning. One with just salt. And one with reduced salt and MSG. It’ll be an ‘aha!’ moment when you taste the difference.”
Kenji Morimoto, the Japanese-American author of Ferment (Pan Macmillan), encourages cooks to use it as a garnish: “A steak will taste even more like steak.” Akin to flavour cubes or nutritional yeast, MSG can enhance seasoning mixes, popcorn blends, dressings and dips. “It turns a good tomato into a great tomato,” says Eng, who tosses them in a teaspoon of MSG and tablespoon of salt when making panzanella. His cacio e pepe made with fermented tofu uses MSG with savoury bean curd, parmesan and pecorino. “Italian and Chinese cuisines are both very umami-forward,” says Eng. “MSG focuses that dish.”
MSG also works wonders in desserts. “I liken it to an Instagram filter,” says Morimoto. “Things become amplified. If you’re working with banana miso or anything caramel- or chocolate-based, it will shine.”
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