yads 194 points 3 years ago

MSG. People will swear it gives them all manner of ailments

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quadrotiles 31 points 3 years ago

I bought a big pack of msg from the Asian supermarket and use it instead of normal salt for many things. My partner and I call it wonder salt.

(Of course, msg like normal salt or anything should be used in moderation lol)

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megane_kun 25 points 3 years ago

I bought a big pack of msg from the Asian supermarket and use it instead of normal salt for many things. My partner and I call it wonder salt.

I hear the voices of my ancestors cry in confusion.

But seriously speaking, I've never encountered MSG being used in place of salt. We use it here to give food more of that nondescript meaty taste (aka umami).

Personally, if I need both salty and umami tastes I'd reach for soy or fish sauce first (depending on what's being cooked). I'd only add MSG and/or salt if I really have to—usually to make minute adjustments.

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Zarxrax 9 points 3 years ago

I heard a lot about how msg can make stuff taste great, so I bought some a while back and I try it every now and then, but I can't really tell the difference. If I use too much I do notice that it makes the taste worse. I don't know if I'm doing it wrong.

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SPOOSER 23 points 3 years ago

I remember when I was looking up diet videos years ago everyone was VEHEMETLY advocating against MSG and how bad it was for you, especially for diabetics. I'm still not entirely sure what to believe, but I know MSG isn't as bad as everyone thought it was.

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Stovetop 19 points 3 years ago

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coldredlight 13 points 3 years ago

MSG isn't "bad" at all, it's just another ingredient really. The campaign against it was entirely bullshit that was driven by racism against Asian people because it's a common ingredient in Chinese food.

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cwagner 15 points 3 years ago

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Aasikki 6 points 3 years ago

It's almost like a cheat code to make almost anything taste better!

But I also I don't understand people who think that it literally is cheating and shouldn't be used because of that. If msg is cheating, salt is also cheating.

For me, msg has become almost as important "tool" in the kitchen as salt.

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UnknownQuantity 3 points 3 years ago

I also love msg, but 2.4kg would probably last a decade in my pantry. I use it sparingly. How much do you use?

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state_electrician 14 points 3 years ago

There's glutamate, although not MSG, in breast milk. Also sugar in the form of lactose. That's because that's what gets babies to keep sucking.

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Rinnarrae 6 points 3 years ago

MSG is naturally in certain foods too, like tomatos and seaweed.

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Sendbeer 5 points 3 years ago

I remember reading something from Chef John being against MSG (he was commenting within one of his YouTube videos). But not for health reasons. He just felt the flavor punch it gave lead to addictive overeating.

I'm like bitch, that delicious food you showcase does the same thing, you don't hear me bitching about it.

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Reliant1087 5 points 3 years ago

I love the taste of msg, unfortunately over the past few years it seems to have become a trigger for my migraines. I miss eating noodles with msg.

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6jarjar6 1 point 3 years ago

Had a gnarly migraine yesterday after having msg. Hope its not msg causing it, so tasty 😩

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Rachelhazideas 3 points 3 years ago

That's actually a misconception within a misconception.

It's not that MSG allergies don't exist, it is that they are often downplayed for the same reason that Celiac's disease is downplayed. When a few people fake or overexaggerate their symptoms, credibility is taken from the rest of us who actually suffer from it. Now people are always quick to invalidate those who are symptomatic.

Yes, it's true that some of the rumors around MSG are racially motivated, and that some people who claim to be affected are lying. But that doesn't mean that MSG related symptoms aren't real for the rest of us. Speaking as someone who is from Hong Kong, grew up with MSG, and absolutely loves the taste of it, but developed health conditions that were comorbid with MSG intolerance.

As a chronic pain and migraine sufferer, large quantities of MSG is a common trigger for migraines (or headaches when I'm lucky). I've been blind tested before with someone else's help using the same quantities of salt vs MSG in a cellulose capsule. Each time, I would happen to be fine after taking the salt capsule with a glass of water. But after taking the MSG capsule with a glass of water, I would have have a headache or a painfully tense sensation around my head. This was done multiple times across separate days to rule out confounding factors.

It's likely true that for the vast majority of people MSG doesn't trigger a reaction. However, a few of us have an intolerance and we are frequently dismissed and medically gaslit. Please believe us. I'm so tired of people telling me that what I'm experiencing isn't real. I wish it didn't have to be real so I could go back to eating whatever I want and not worry about migraines.

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pax27 1 point 3 years ago

I was confused at first how anyone thought that Madison Square Garden was dangerous, could it be all that ice-hockey they play there. Then I read the other comments and now I realize it's the basketball.

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