I agree that MSG (ajin-no-moto, chu-lot) is very popular in Thailand. However I think it is a bigger risk in western food. At least in Thai and Chinese cooking it is consciously added, and you can ask for it not to be (mai sai chulot kap). But in western prepared (canned/bottled) foods and sauces, it is often present but disguised (as hydrolised vegetable protein, or something similar).

Cheers,

Mike

By the way, near me the crabs in som tam come from the rice fields - along with snails, rats, vegetables - a veritable larder !

i always thought ayin no moto, was a brand name and the correct term for msg was pong chu rot tair.

i usually say mai sai pong chu rot as oppossed to mai sai ayin no moto.

waiting for the mighty ms to enlighten.

Hmmm. I think the Isaan influence in my (very poor) Thai is showing again

edit> typo

"mai sai pong chu rot" is more correct, although one could expand the phrase and add the word "tair" or perhaps, for better emphasis, "tair tair" .

pong = powder

chu = enhance

rot = flavour

tair = natural / original

Patrick

Edit : typo

I've also heard it referred to as "sodium," with typical Thai pronunciation. Not sure if that is now a generally accepted name for it, or it the vendors I heard were just using a loan word. Anyone know?