Salt and pepper are soon to have a new friend on the American dinner table. It\u27s monosodium glutamate, an amino salt which intensifies the natural food flavor without adding flavor, color, or aroma

Pitzer, Mary Kay

English

Salt and pepper are soon to have a new friend on the American dinner table. It's monosodium glutamate, an amino salt which intensifies the natural food flavor without adding flavor, color, or aroma.</p

Pitzer, Mary

Digital Repository @ Iowa State University (ISU)

) I Glasses for your Taste buds Thar's whar rhis new flavor inrensifer has been called by famous chefs and home-makers all over rhe country. by Nfary Kay Pitzer Technical Journalism Junior MSG is added to meat to provide ex tra "dash" by stimulating your taste buds tu a quicker and mo1·e intense flavor of foods. ~ AL T and pepper are soon to have a new friend on the ()) American dinner table. It's monosodium glutamate, an amino salt which intensifies the natural food flavor with-out adding flavor, color, or aroma. Generations ago the Chinese discovered this flavor inten-sifier in powdered seaweed and used it to add zest to dull fish and rice dishes. Soon the Japanese took notice and began manufacturing it commercially, calling it Aji-no-moto, "that element of taste." Gradually they began ship-ping small quantities to us until the war cut off such im-ports. But the interest of American manufacturers had been aroused, and they experimented until they were able to produce the substance from sugar beets, wheat, corn or soya beans. For many years it was used only by exclusive hotels and restaurants, but due to greatly increased pro-duction and promotion, it is now finding its way to neigh-borhood grocery shelves as well. As a seasoner, MSG is used in addition to salt, not as a substitute. It lacks taste of its own, but stimulates the taste buds to a quicker and more intense flavor of foods. Having no flavor or aroma of its own, it does not change the flavors of foods as a condiment does. Especially good with meat, soups, poultries, sea foods, and gravies, MSG also enhances the flavor of vegetables, sauces and salad dressings. One enthusiastic user found that it added zest to maple syrup, coffee cake and fresh fruit salad. As a special boon to the thrifty homemaker, MSG does wonders for rejuvenating leftovers. Doctors even prescribe it for invalids when "just nothing tastes good." No expert cook is n eeded to produce mouth-watering results with monosodium glutamate. In fact, no recipe changes are needed at all. Just add the seasoning before or during cooking or sprinkle to taste before serving. In spite of the addition of flavor, MSG adds little to the cost of a meal. Colonel Paul Logan, director of research for the National Restaurant Association, announced that with pure glutamate costing 15 cents per ounce, used in recom-mended amou nts, it will add 2/3 cent per pound to beef, % cent per pound to macaroni and cheese, 1J1 cent each to chops, and 3/5 cents each to one-pound steaks. Colonel Logan has also conducted a blindfold test with foods prepared with this product with ten members of the Food Testing Committee of the National R estaurant As-sociation. Dishes tested were cream of tomato soup, chicken gravy, Irish stew, green string beans, broccoli and beef olives (small rolls of flank steak). During the tests, each member was g-iven two samples-one prepared by standard cooking methods and the other with MSG added. w·ithout consulting anyone else, each member voted, giving his or her opinion of the relative merits of the two dishes. H ere are the results: Dishes Chicken gravy ............... . Irish stew ........... . . ...... . Green string beans .. . . . . . .. .. . Broccoli ..... . .. . . . .. . ....... . Beef olives ........... . .. .. ... . Cream of tomato soup ........ . GENERAL AVERAGE ...... . Percentage Preferring Plain Dish 10 50 20 20 30 60 31.6 ]>ercen tage Preferring MSG Added 90 50 80 80 70 40 68.4 Colonel Logan pointed out that a single test such as this would not be conclusive except that it was augmented by similar results obtained from more than five hundred other tests. Monosodium glutamate is now being sold under several different trade names throughout the country. With home-makers who enjoy adventure in cooking, MSG is a passport to exciting and flavorful meals. THE IowA ·HoMEMAKER 

Glasses for your Tastebuds

https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/40902

Glasses for your Tastebuds

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