I've always heard that the MSG (monosodium glutamate) scare is overblown. Here's an article that nicely summarizes the source of the hype and talks about the many, many places where you eat glutamate, yea, even with a sodium ion or two:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05glute.html?ref=style
Since glutamate is one of the 20 natural amino acids (and sodium ion's even more common) you aren't going to get away from salt+glutamate very easily. I know I like MSG. It's one of the few molecules we have a taste receptor specifically for, after all. If anything, the whole Chinese Restaurant Syndrome thing should be a mild warning that purified chemicals like MSG might be able to be used in wrong proportions. Is that phrased mildly enough? It's nothing to worry about.
So bring on the MSG. It's good stuff.
I doubt this will cause any Asian restaurants to take down their "No MSG" signs anytime soon. However, if I see one advertising the use of MSG, I would be intrigued enough to go out of my way to try it. What does that say about me?
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