Three little letters that have the power to divide audiences have been floating around social media for months – and the zeitgeist for decades – and a recently vocal fan has surprised both camps. We’re talking of course, about MSG.

Monosodium glutamate, more commonly known as MSG, features in culinary icon Rick Stein’s latest cookbook Simple Suppers. The Bannisters chef suggests a sprinkling of MSG to finish his crab and sweet corn soup; an ode to one of the first dishes he ate in a Chinese restaurant circa 1964. 

Stein has been mindful of not including the flavour booster in his recipes in the past, telling Daily Mail: “I’ve never put MSG in any of my recipes [before], just because I don’t want people to say, ‘How could you do this?’ But the reality is that it’s not dangerous. I just thought it was time I actually pointed this out to people.”

So what is MSG? And how did it get such a bad rap?

Monosodium glutamate is a white, odourless powder that resembles table salt and is used to enhance flavours in food. It is commonly derived from seaweed and created by adding sodium to L-glutamic acid (glutamate) – an amino acid that is prevalent in foods like cheese, mushrooms, ripened fruits, and miso paste.

Glutamates are the umami flavours that come from universal favourites like pizza, the sticky sweet spots on a roasting pan, and cured meats like ham and prosciutto. The addition of sodium to glutamates takes those flavours and kicks them up a notch.

MSG is also a common ingredient in Asian cooking. Anecdotal evidence suggests that eating MSG could cause headaches, skin rashes, gastrointestinal upset, and lethargy. The term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” even made its way into the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 1993, off the back of a 1968 letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine that claimed Chinese food could cause such health issues. The letter was later debunked, but the damage was done. 

Anti-Asian rhetoric, particularly in relation to the use of MSG in cooking, took hold, despite many, many studies that supported the safety of the ingredient – not to mention nearly 120 years of problem-free, umami-packed feasting since its discovery in 1908.

Related story: Dr Zac Turner on why MSG isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be

As with any allergy or sensitivity, some individuals may experience adverse reactions when eating foods with high glutamates, or even MSG itself. However, food authorities across the world have reviewed bans and restrictions on the use of MSG seasoning in commercial and home cooking. 

As S’more chef Sam Young explained in a statement given to delicious., “The flavours of MSG are naturally occurring in a lot of different ingredients, like seaweed, tomatoes, and parmesan. We don’t use MSG in the restaurant because it’s a premium restaurant. What we do use, though, is kombu stock that’s been simmered for hours. Tomato paste in our lobster pasta. Bonito flakes to make dashi. It accomplishes a similar effect but people don’t want to hear that they’re eating MSG.”

Young continues, “If I’m cooking at home, I’ll use MSG, absolutely. But the way I see it, MSG is a useful shortcut. If you want to pursue flavour, you can simmer stock, spend hours making a sauce – or you can add a pinch of MSG. Life is all about choices.”

When reviewing the safety of MSG in 2003, Food Standards Australia New Zealand concluded ‘there is no convincing evidence that MSG is a significant factor in causing systemic reactions resulting in severe illness or mortality.’

Related story: Discover simple suppers, done well in Rick Stein’s latest cookbook