Last month, the New York Times published an article about the controversy surrounding MSG entitled “Yes, MSG, the Secret Behind the Savor.” Now, I’ve seen more than a few Asian restaurants with handmade signs declaring “No MSG.” However, “NO MSG on all gourmet dishes” is not the same as “No MSG,” is it? That “on all gourmet dishes” clause looks like a disclaimer of sorts. But, I’m not one to barge into a restaurant and ask them which dishes on the menu are “gourmet” dishes and which ones are not. I have no interest in being on the wrong end of kitchen cleaver or getting served pre-salivated food. Still, it makes me wonder. There’s no way steamed rice is “gourmet.” What else isn’t gourmet?

I usually use Pearl River Bridge soy sauce. However, because I have been busy as of late, I had to send others to shop for groceries in my place. As a result, we have started to venture into other brands of foodstuffs, like Haday Superior Light Soy Sauce. Not being familiar with this brand, I took a quick glance at the ingredients as saw some familiar ingredients and some foreign.

I understand water, soy beans, wheat flour, salt, and sugar. That’s the plain English ingredients. Yeast extract may sound like yeast, but it isn’t. Instead, yeast extract contains glutamic acids, and is used as a flavoring like monosodium glutamate (MSG). Next up is Disodium 5′-Inosinate and Disodium 5′-Guanylate. These are flavor enhancers used with glutamates (from the yeast extract) to create 鲜味 in Chinese cooking. Finally, sodium benzoate is a common food preservative.

Next time I am at the grocery store, I have to see if the Pearl River Bridge brand contains the same ingredients.