I cringe when I hear people launch into a diatribe about food when I know full well that they do not cook.  This is a kind analysis that akin to armchair-anthropology.  “Choosy moms choosing Jiff” and “Little Mikey“criticizing the Zagat and Michelin guides.

My greatest peeve is the stigma surrounding monosodium glutamate (MSG).  People looking at crisp green vegetables, thick day-glo sauces, and golden fried foods in disdain.  Claims of heart palpitations and dizzying headaches after consuming MSG are the top reasons why people stay away from Chinese food.  Happily I now have examples of real everyday food (sadly meaning processed western food) ingredients that are autologous to MSG.  Though the direct usage of MSG must be labeled per the FDA, its cousins and as well as sub-compoents that contain msg can hide under different and wholesome names.

The next time you have someone droning in your ears about MSG, offer them some flavored snack chips and tell them about cuisines they think are more respectable.  Japanese, Indian, Mexican, and Thai are rife with foods that sweet-savory-meat taste… which they won’t believe is MSG.

Find out for yourself @ nytimes.com [link] via seriouseats.com [link]