Ajinomoto

How MSG got its stigma and those redeeming the ingredient to combat Asian hate

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How MSG got its stigma and those redeeming the ingredient to combat Asian hate

It is a label you have seen on menus, packaged foods, cans of soup, dipping sauces and in restaurant windows all around the world: “No MSG”. For decades, not using the flavour enhancer MSG, or monosodium glutamate, in a dish or product was considered a positive, as the ingredient was widely deemed unhealthy. It all … Read more

Explainer | What is umami? How the savoury flavour makes food of many kinds taste better

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Explainer | What is umami? How the savoury flavour makes food of many kinds taste better

Umami is present in almost all savoury foods and is one of the five primary human tastes, along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. It is often conspicuous by its absence, like the lack of meat taste in vegan stock. The word “umami” was coined in 1908 to describe the flavour discovered by Japanese chemist … Read more