MSG is a common seasoning that enhances the flavor of food and is a favorite of many housewives. However, not everyone can consume MSG, and not all dishes are suitable for adding MSG. In fact, excessive consumption of MSG can be harmful to the body. Let's take a look at some precautions when using MSG.
1. Do not add MSG to dishes with vinegar
Dishes with a strong sour taste and a lot of vinegar should not be seasoned with MSG. This is because MSG is not easily soluble in acidic environments, and the higher the acidity, the lower the solubility and the worse the taste enhancement effect. Therefore, dishes like sweet and sour pork and vinegar-braised cabbage should not have MSG added.
2. Do not add MSG to sweet dishes
MSG's flavor is more pronounced in dishes with an appropriate sodium ion concentration. Therefore, MSG enhances the umami taste in salty dishes, but if added to sweet dishes, it not only fails to enhance the flavor, but also suppresses the natural sweetness and produces an unpleasant taste. Therefore, dishes like chicken and corn soup and sweet taro paste should not have MSG added.
3. Avoid using MSG at high temperatures
When cooking dishes, if MSG is added at high temperatures, it undergoes a chemical change and turns into sodium glutamate. This not only fails to season the dish, but also produces mild toxins that are detrimental to human health. Scientific experiments have shown that MSG has the best solubility at temperatures between 70°C and 90°C.
4. Avoid using MSG at low temperatures
MSG is not easily soluble at low temperatures. If you want to add MSG to cold dishes for flavor enhancement, you can dissolve the MSG in warm water, let it cool, and then pour it over the cold dish.
5. Avoid using excessive amounts of MSG
MSG is diluted with water at a ratio of 3000:1, and the human taste perception of MSG is 0.033%. When using MSG, a ratio of around 1500:1 is appropriate. If too much MSG is added, it can create a strange taste in the dish that is neither salty nor bitter, resulting in the opposite effect.
6. Avoid using MSG when stir-frying eggs
Stir-frying eggs already contain a lot of glutamate. When stir-frying eggs, salt is usually added, and the main component of salt is sodium chloride. When heated, glutamate and sodium chloride react to form a new substance called sodium glutamate, which is the main component of MSG and gives the eggs a pure umami taste. Adding MSG to stir-fried eggs is unnecessary and can detract from the flavor.
