Adam Funk wrote:
>
> ISTR that Harold McGee says something slightly derogatory about modern
> MSG production, to the effect that "the essence of flavour" (I think
> that's a literal translation from Chinese or Japanese) is now cranked
> out industrially. But I can't remember what process he meant (if I
> remember, I'll look it up later).

As opposed to what? MSG made the old-fashioned way,
by hand? Artisan MSG? There ain't no such thing!

MSG production began about 100 years ago in Japan
when a chemistry professor isolated MSG from a type
of seaweed known for its flavor-enhancing effects.
The company he started still exists, Ajinomoto.

For a long time, it was a by-product of beet sugar
production -- Steffen process waste is rich in MSG.
But I believe that these days it's all made by
bacterial fermentation. (Technically, that's not
vegan because bacteria are animals in the old
two-kingdom classification system. They lack
cell walls.)