The market · Seasonings and ferments · East Asia, Southeast Asia

Msg

Monosodium glutamate: pure glutamate, the savoury taste of kombu, parmesan and tomatoes, as white crystals. It makes broths, sauces and fried rice taste fuller without tasting saltier.

savoury · brothy · mouth-filling

What to do with it

Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeMsg would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangMsg would give it depthRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleMsg would give it depthMira Kowalski's Pierogi ruskieMsg would give it depth

Kinds

MSG
The plain crystals.
Umami seasoning with nucleotides
MSG with inosinate and guanylate, which multiply its effect — use much less.

Goes with

eggtomatostockrice

Knowing it

Where to buy
Asian grocers, in bags, cheaply.
A little history
Kikunae Ikeda identified glutamate as kombu's savoury taste in 1908 and patented MSG; it was on sale within a year. Fears about it, mostly from the late 1960s, haven't held up in controlled studies.
Worth knowing
Add it with the salt, a pinch at a time — a little goes a long way, and too much tastes flat and cloying rather than more savoury. It has about a third of salt's sodium, so it lets you use less salt.

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