Fesshole 🧻4d ago
I'm Italian and my husband's not, and for years his gnocchi got more praise from dinner guests than mine. It made me feel inferior. Today I learned he's been secretly adding MSG to his gnocchi dough, like he's in a food competition, to undermine me.
Show threadArik

@fesshole at the risk of being controversial, I don't see any problem with MSG. I use it all the time when I cook, it enhances the flavour of many savoury dishes.

You describe it like a performance enhancing drug for food. What's so wrong with it?

Mar 19 at 10:57amWeb
Show threadDavid Bridger4d ago
@pq1r MSG isn't great for everyone. Gives me stomach cramps and I could shit through the eye of a needle.
Show threadArik4d ago

@DavidBridger thanks for that description. You must be a part of a tiny minority sensitive to MSG, and indeed there are many foods and food additives that some people are sensitive or allergic to.

That doesn't make it bad, just like people with a peanut allergy don't make peanuts bad.

Show threadDavid Bridger4d ago
@pq1r Fair comment. Estimated proportion of the human population intolerant of MSG is 1%. Cooks using it indiscriminately might want to think about warning diners in case any of them are among those 80 million people.
Show threadArik4d ago

@DavidBridger that's higher than I thought, and in the same order of magnitude of peanut allergy or tree nut allergy.

I did try to find information about the prevalence of MSG allergy or sensitivity without success - what's your source?

Show threadDavid Bridger4d ago
@pq1r Found a few mentions of the 1% mark, while this 2024 article from the Harvard Medical School says under 1%, but I figured it's a reasonable number to go on: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-nutrition/monosodium-glutamate-msg-what-it-is-and-why-you-might-consider-avoiding-foods-that-contain-it
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): What it is, and why you might consider avoiding foods that contain it - Harvard Health

Learn about monosodium glutamate (MSG), how it's used, and foods most likely to contain it. Take a look at the evidence linking MSG to certain side effects....

Harvard Health