tbsp = tablespoon.

Tsp = tsp = teaspoon.

Tom

For the color when corning beef, or ham.

Tom

hm, I guess because I never wrote that.
I was writing that it is often used in environments where they have problems with keeping minimal sanitary standards. Yo can ask Prosciutto producers why they are not using saltpeter if it would make their work easier? I can give you a hint: it would interfere with a process that gives it such a nice taste. And, they are usually very proud of their workmanship. I was talking with few salami producers and they very militant against its use.

So, my problem with saltpetre is: 1) taste 2) can be a sign poor quality 3)doesn't have benefits when cooking fresh chicken (as the only benefit would be pink colour, which is not something most of people look in chicken)

btw nr. 1 is my opinion, nr 2. and 3. are facts

I’ve never seen that before in my life …

Ac'cent was in every other kitchen in the US in the 50s-60s-70s (though not in ours...it gave Mum a terrible headache known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome because MSG was ubiquitous there. It was touted on TV as a way to wake up taste and cut down on salt.

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-li...and%20tomatoes.

I was born in '80 so I guess that's why I haven't seen it.

It makes me sick too ... I have mast cell activation syndrome, so quite a bit of food is limited to me, but MSG is at the top. It is frustrating to see the current trend to claim it is BS that it makes you sick or that "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" is racist. Those with MCAS can't eat most Asian food because all of the delicious sauces are fermented/aged and if you sprinkle MSG on top, it is a recipe for disaster. I can handle it in small doses, but I prefer not to be sick for a day or two after ...

It causes histamine to be released in the body, hence the allergic like response. So it perhaps is not a direct allergy, but causes allergic responses. Other foods high in histamine are tomatoes, chocolate (so sad), parmesan cheese, wine etc.. Those with histamine intolerance/MCAS have to go through a lot of trial and error in order to figure out what their triggers are as it is impossible to be "histamine free". Mine are MSG, chocolate, wine and soy sauce. Medication and moderation allows me to eat from the list than some other people ...

Having an intolerance for/allergy against something does not mean the actual substance is bad for health.

Wheat is not bad for you- unless you have coelic disease or some other problem.
Peanuts are deadly if you have an allergy to them but fine for most of the population.

Blind trials have shown that MSG does not cause any symptoms in people and is safe to consume - unless you have an allergy.

I didn't say it was bad for you - but the current trend in media / opinions among chefs is that any kind of allergy to MSG is bullcrap and/or racist.

I probably shouldn't have quoted your post as my comments were not directed against you but in agreement with you.

The general population (not you) always seems to be so mis-informed or prone to faddiness and food crazes.

Avoiding gluten-containing products seemed to be a fad a few years ago for some bizarre reason.
This just made it really difficult for coeliacs as when ever anyone asked for a gluten-free menu there was a lot of eye-rolling by restaurant staff.

Completely agree - but unfortunately in my experience, restaurants do not take allergies seriously at all. Primarily due to a lack of understanding ... I have a colleague with Celiac Disease and she takes her own food to work events or does not eat at them. Even though I work mostly with medical doctors, they all treat her with a lack of understanding too.

They take them very seriously in many countries - in Italy for example, everyone is clued up and knowledgeable.

Many restaurants in the U.K. and the U.S. also have a separate gluten-free menu.

But yes, here they don't seem to have a clue.

Absolutely, sometimes I have to laugh about it. I am grateful I don't have anaphylaxis as that isn't funny at all.

On Saturday my husband and I went to lunch and ordered a salad bowl as a starter. I noticed in the menu that the salad came with walnuts, so I asked the waitress to not include walnuts as I am allergic. They brought the salad bowl with a mini bowl of walnuts inserted into the bowl with walnuts overlapping and touching the lettuce. When I asked her why they did this, she said "In case your husband wants some walnuts". lol

They still make and sell it.

Tom

I don't think it's as much a trend but rather a correction of the hordes of people who would say chinese food makes them sick because of msg and then go scarf a whole pack of cheetos.

Someone with a legitimate allergy like yourself is of course, another issue.

Yea, there are a lot of those people - like the ones mentioned by Tom with gluten, they sometimes ruin it for the rest of us.

I spent over two decades trying to figure out what was causing my allergic responses until I found a doctor who figured the puzzle out. Sometimes perhaps others are going through the same and blame random foods because they don't quite understand what is going on yet. It is complicated!

Mmm Cheetos and Doritos, how I miss thee ...

Chinese food makes me happy. We're in the process of cooking Sichuan chicken again for dinner..absolutely no Aromat involved. It's possible.
Seriously, if you follow a more or less traditional recipe with spices and stuff there's no need for monosodium glutamate...

Lots of soy sauce contains msg...

I suppose with "Sichuan chicken" you mean laziji. No one said every dish requires it but many do. Which brand of soy sauce do you use when cooking chinese food?

And I didn't even dispute that? Or I thought so....
The point I was trying to make is that if you still like Chinese food but have this weird allergy you can cook something at home and have more control over the ingredients.
We use Kikkoman soy sauce usually and I checked, there's no mention of msg added on the label. I am not really peculiar about this thing but if I can buy stuff "ohne msg" added etc I usually do. To be fair, generally speaking I prefer the original recipe (I mean the original recipe of an industrial product) than the later "healthier" version of that product. With real sugar etc no "healthier" replacements etc

I am by no means an expert in Asian cuisine...and I am aware some products can have hidden *whatever* disguised under a larger category of condiments, etc.