Creating the U-bomb
My brother sent me this link to a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal about umami, the "fifth taste" most of us know through MSG. If it exists, and scientists are beginning to think it does, it's the "meaty, savory" taste that draws us to protein.
The story goes into much greater detail, including descriptions of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's "umami bombs," as he calls them. These are dishes that pile on umami-rich foods for explosive flavor. Example: a $185 Parmesan cheese custard with white truffles sold in his New York restaurant Jean Georges. I just can't quite take umami seriously when I read something like that.
On the other hand, the update on the latest research on MSG is interesting. Scientific evidence seems to be mounting that MSG doesn't cause ill effects.
(Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
Comments
jean george (jojo), to his friends, is definitely a revolutonary. he single handedly revolutionized the "fusion" craze w/ VONG. unfortunately, every TOM, DICK & HARRY thought they were qualified to do the same. hence, "fusion confusion" gave birth... umami is certainly part of the japanese food culture. maitake mushrooms are known to have that distinct flavor as well as soy based ingredients, ie. MSG. if jojo is doing this, then it is definitely serious. hopefully "umami tsunami" will not materialize.
Posted by: curious4food | December 13, 2007 1:59 PM
NPW did a piece about this the other week. It's very interesting stuff. But the dish above doesn't sound appealing to me.
Posted by: Fairfax | December 13, 2007 2:01 PM
I read that article earlier, and it was clear that they're not going to say anything bad about MSG since their researchers are all tied with the Ajinomoto empire. I grew up with MSG and still remember that red capped clear bottle in my parent's kitchen. I am one of those who suffer real debilitating headaches from having too much MSG when I discovered it in college for eating too much of that ramen in a cup. Interestingly I have a friend that when we go out to a sit down Chinese restaurant, he would actually ask for extra MSG on his food!
Yes, no one ever says how many people actually took part in these studies, whether they were "gold standard" and who funded them.
Posted by: Eric | December 13, 2007 2:14 PM
Seems to me that there've been dozens of these studies over the last decade and a half or so, and I don't think I've ever seen one of them offer proof of a link between MSG and any of the symptoms it's notionally tied to.
Jeffrey Steingarten has a great overview of this in his essay "Why Doesn't Everyone in China Have a Headache?", reprinted in his collection It Must Have Been Something I Ate, but it's not available online (that I could find). Another readable story on the subject can be found at http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1522368,00.html (which, er "borrows" Steingarten's title conceit).
Now, Eric, take a deep breath before you respond. :-)
My fingers are getting tired from making smiley faces today.
Posted by: Matt Terl | December 13, 2007 4:43 PM
(and counting backwards 10, 9, 8, 7, 6....exhale...nah...not even worth it)
Of course I too can find and cite many studies from the National Headache Foundation, the New England Journal of Medicine among others, that backs up what I experience again and again (I only let it happen a handful of times, because I too thought that it might be something else), but then again how much information could convince anyone who doesn't know...perhaps it is a conspiracy because my friend who loves MSG is (*gasp*) Chinese!
The next question is "Why Doesn't Everyone in Japan Have a Headache?" =)
Posted by: Eric | December 14, 2007 10:03 AM