Monosodium Glutamate (MSG

Let me say immediately that I don’t use MSG to those who, like me, tend to judge a Chinese cookbook by whether or not MSG appears in the ingredients list. No, I don’t use it, but I am so frequently asked about MSG that I thought it deserved a mention here.

Variously called by its Japanese name aji-no-moto, by its Vietnamese name, vetsin, or by the brand name Accent, or various English names such as taste powder, flavor enhancer, or Chinese salt, MSG is a common item in most every Chinese kitchen. It would not be thought refined if one did not use it. It would merely be thought strange. I am thought a bit strange by many of my Chinese friends, because to my tongue food does not need it.