"blake murphy" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:24:37 GMT, "Musashi" >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"blake murphy" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:55:32 -0600, Steve Wertz
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> >On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:54:47 -0500, ian wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Continuing my one-man monitoring of Fuchsia Dunlop's writings, here
she
> >> >> is endorsing, gasp!!, the use of MSG.
> >> >
> >> >Good article. What, exactly, did you find wrong with it?
> >> >
> >> >-sw
> >>
> >> do folks here have strong feelings pro or con on the use of msg? i
> >> usually use it when it's called for (more often, of course, in
> >> japanese recipes) and don't if it's not. should i be jamming it into
> >> meat loaf? (i just bought a pound of the stuff - at this rate,
> >> several lifetimes' supply. still cheaper than a canister of ac'cent.)
> >>
> >> your pal,
> >> blake
> >>
> >
> >I've been making Japanese food for a couple decades and have never used
msg.
> >None of my
> >relatives in Japan do either. During the 1960s when I was a little kid, a
> >bottle of "ajinomoto"
> >was always found on the table next to the soy sauce. I havent seen any
for
> >quite some time
> >even though I know it still exists and is sold in stores. I look at quite
a
> >number of recipes in
> >Japanese magazines and books and never find Ajinomoto (msg) listed as a
> >recipe ingredient.
> >Take my word for it, you don't need msg to make good Japanese dishes. The
> >whole idea of
> >ajinomoto (msg) was to reproduce the "umami" that comes from amino acids.
If
> >you use
> >traditional dashi ingredients like Konbu, it comes naturally.
> >Musashi
> >
> msg is a little easier for me to get a hold of than konbu. (i'm a
> sissy - what can i say? when i use dashi, i make the powdered stuff
> from a jar.)
>

OK, I can't deny that it is convenient.
Today in Japan, msg is found mostly in processed foods, instant foods, and
convenience store "bentos".
While most people no longer sprinkle it on their food like they used to,
it is still found in many things so it isn't easy to completely avoid.
M