Whats That Stuff The Thai Girls Put In Stir Frys?

[PatchC]

Whats the stuff in a clear bag with red and blue writing on it (never in english)

It looks a bit like sugar or salt but more 'stringy'

My girlfriend doesnt know the english for it neither does anyone elses girlfriend ive asked.

Maybe its something I should really know as im well into cooking

Patch.

[petedk]

MSG

Mono Sodium Glutamate. It's supposed to enhance flavours.

We never use it and try to stay away from restaurants that use it.

[terrier123]

MSG -- banned in my house for 5 years. Originally from seaweed (?) but now artificially produced and bad for eyes, proven to cause strokes in elderly etc. Some home cooks are known to add 6 spoonsful to a dish. Last time I looked there were about 7 mill. web pages about the stuff. In Thai language chorlot I think. Ask for your food WITHOUT it.

[thaigerd]

MSG!

Forbidden in many food products worldwide.

Gerd

[ernest1966]

It has also been suggested that it is addictive, most fast food chains add it to the food (or did, dunno if it finally got banned)....

Most chinese takeaways in the UK add it in, makes food thicker and gloopy, tastes disgusting.

[daveh]

Whats the stuff in a clear bag with red and blue writing on it (never in english)

It looks a bit like sugar or salt but more 'stringy'

My girlfriend doesnt know the english for it neither does anyone elses girlfriend ive asked.

Maybe its something I should really know as im well into cooking

Patch.

MSG. It adds flavor to food. Specifically it adds a "savory" taste. There is a myth that it is somehow harmful to humans. If you are the type to believe emails that say something like "This is horrible stuff, please pass this along to everyone you know." then you might want to stay away from MSG. If you are the type to look at facts and scientific studies, enjoy the flavor it adds.

[WorldwideALOHA]

I put MSG on my bacon

Aloha

[PatchC]

LOL thanks for the heads up on that one, ill tell Wanissa lay of the stuff.

[daoyai]

Strange how some folks get so passionate about their pong churot, ajinomoto, or MSG. Monosodium glutamate, It won't kill you right away but it will raise the sodium level of your food significantly. High sodium is a killer, it can raise blood pressure leading to stroke etc. If you stop using so much salt in you food and cut out the msg, at first it may taste bland but eventually the true taste of the food will come through. After a few days or weeks you won't even be able to enjoy the overly salty food. And your blood pressure will probably be lower.

[Carib]

[somluck]

My gf would make a dip mixing the stuff and stir into nam pla

Edited April 15, 2009 by somluck

[WinnieTheKhwai]

LOL.. Ehm, actually it's not forbidden in any country. While it's not healthy, it's in the same league as salt; again it's better not to use too much of it, but a little is okay and goes a long way.

If you want to avoid it completely then you're in trouble because it occurs naturally in loads of foods. Obviously you don't want/need to add it to your food by the spoon full, but then the same applies to salt and probably many other things in life.

[Ulysses G.]

Whats the stuff in a clear bag with red and blue writing on it (never in english)

MSG. It adds flavor to food. Specifically it adds a "savory" taste. There is a myth that it is somehow harmful to humans. If you are the type to believe emails that say something like "This is horrible stuff, please pass this along to everyone you know." then you might want to stay away from MSG. If you are the type to look at facts and scientific studies, enjoy the flavor it adds.

These are the FACTS, Jack!

[MiG16]

i was wanting to move this to the foodie forum

but at a loss whether its thai or international.....cos I know its influenced a lot by Chinese cooking, and must be used a lot in Japan too?

might not be western, considering from responses of our (presumed) western posters

[sbk]

thai food forum it is

[PoorSucker]

I use Knorr Aromat.

It's also MSG.

[Soulwy]

I knew there was something "fishy" about this...But what is it called in Thai? Then I can say "Mai ...."

[sbk]

pom shoo roht.

Fact is, MSG in small amounts has no effect on me. However, having eaten at hundreds (quite literally) of funerals and weddings where MSG is added by the bagful (and I do mean bagful, having seen it with my own eyes), I have some pretty major reactions and can always tell afterwards what caused it.

I recall going to a funeral where they served fried rice and I thought it must be safe since who would add MSG to fried rice, (usually its added to soups). well, sure enough, within an hour I felt very ill. I also eat at a small curry place that puts minute amounts of MSG in their food and have no reaction at all. So, I have to wonder at those people who tell me that it is safe to eat.

[IMA_FARANG]

pom shoo roht.

Fact is, MSG in small amounts has no effect on me. However, having eaten at hundreds (quite literally) of funerals and weddings where MSG is added by the bagful (and I do mean bagful, having seen it with my own eyes), I have some pretty major reactions and can always tell afterwards what caused it.

I recall going to a funeral where they served fried rice and I thought it must be safe since who would add MSG to fried rice, (usually its added to soups). well, sure enough, within an hour I felt very ill. I also eat at a small curry place that puts minute amounts of MSG in their food and have no reaction at all. So, I have to wonder at those people who tell me that it is safe to eat.

Some people have no problem with it, some do. Like you it sends my blood pressure through the roof. Was in Bangkok in February, and my children took me to aeafood place. Food was good, but they must have used the MSG in one of the sauces for the sweet-sour fish. 15 minutes after I ate it, my blood pressure was up tp 190/90 (130/80 is more normal for me). I forgot to ask about the MSG before we ordered the food.

Edited April 15, 2009 by IMA_FARANG

[MiG16]

pong shoo rhot

my reaction to it is, i get exceptionally thirsty (dry in the mouth even after drinking lots of water)

[Farma]

I never had a problem eating foods with it added until I mistook it for sugar one time and added it to my coffee. I swallowed a couple of mouthfulls before I realized it wasn’t my hangover giving it the bad taste.

Now even the slightest amounts give me that thirsty feeling that no amount of water will quench. I also get headaches if larger amounts have been used in the food.

[junki3korean]

i love msg

[harrry]

The MSG may be the least of your worries. Thais may add all kinds of things to stirfries. Anything that walks flies swims or crawls. Ah those loverly crunchy cockroackes.

[MyphuketLife]

i love msg

It's heavily used in Kimchi...

Personally I don't mind it, but some people do have a very negitave re-action to it, like anything else I guess.

It can't be worse for you than all the oil used to cook allot of the fried foods...