MSG, China’s True Dash of Flavor
Fuchsia Dunlop, on China’s True Dash of Flavor: "Chinese chefs talk often of “xian wei” — their term for umami. They use many ingredients that are naturally rich in it — Yunnan ham, dried scallops and shiitake mushrooms — to enhance the flavors of their stocks and sauces (just as an Italian cook might use grated Parmigiano or truffles to enhance the umami taste of a dish of pasta). They talk of “ti xian wei” (“bringing out the umami”) in their cooking through the judicious application of salt, sugar, chicken fat and, nowadays, MSG. (...) There may be no need to add MSG to a delicate soup made from chicken, ham and dried scallops. But in some culinary contexts, it works wonders: a little MSG mixed with salt and sesame oil can lift the flavor of a simple bamboo shoot salad, or add a dash of ecstasy to a stir-fry of pea shoots and garlic. If you didn’t know it was MSG, you would simply find it delicious."
(It's kind of been Fuchsia Dunlop week here at Serious Eats, as we 've taken her to lunch and gotten her to make us some General Tso's chicken. Her new book is out now: Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province.)
Previously on MSG: MSG and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
1 Comment:
Knee jerk critics of MSG remind me of all those people in the early nineties who suddenly discovered they were allergic to sulfites in wine.
Certainly there are people who are sensitive to these substances, but each have legitimate applications, and have been used for centuries. In general they are not a problem if used properly.
A chef or restaurant who overuses MSG is probably not much good to begin with. The same for a winery with sloppy vineyard practices.
Everything in moderation is always the rule--except for Fuchsia Dunlop's writing that is! More is always welcome.
Bob Ferrapuhls at 1:53AM on 02/20/07