Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utflis.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcsri!utai!utflis!chai
From: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: MSG & Chinese Food
Message-ID: <147@utflis.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-May-85 00:53:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: utflis.147
Posted: Thu May 30 00:53:24 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 30-May-85 09:24:13 EDT
References: <357@ttidcb.UUCP> <5319@tekecs.UUCP> <1262@hammer.UUCP> <330@osiris.UUCP> <154@Navajo.ARPA>
Reply-To: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai)
Organization: FLIS, University of Toronto
Lines: 23
Summary: 

Although I'm chinese, I'm not a great cook, therefore I may or may not be
correct in what I'm going to say so don't quote me!

In Hong Kong the name for MSG can be translated as "flavor essence" 
or "essence of taste". (I don't believe more than a handful of
chemistry students would call it by its chemical name in chinese;
I don't even know what it is !)
I believe it is a trade name gone generic. (like Kleenex)
It is used in household cooking, but reputable restaurants tend
not to use it.  There are cookbooks and recipes that call for it,
but there are also a lot that don't -- it's just a matter of taste.
(pun intended)
I personally don't like it, but my father like to add a pinch when
making those slow-cooked chinese style soups.

I never even knew what the "chinese restaurant syndrome" is before 
I came to Canada; certainly I know of no one in Hong Kong who's
allergic to it.  One reaction we may have is when you add too much
it makes you thirsty, as if you've used too much salt.
-- 
Henry Chai 
Faculty of Library and Information Science, U of Toronto
{watmath,ihnp4,allegra}!utzoo!utflis!chai