Post #427468 by MinnesotaChef on Tue, Jan 6, 2009 11:25 AM

MSG can aggravate several pre existing health issues. Even without them it can trigger migraines and also abnormal swelling in some people. Bad enough that rings have needed to be cut off of fingers.

However, this was 45 years ago. I personally think "Chinese Food Syndrome" is not nearly as common these days for 2 reasons: We have built up a tolerance for MSG over time, and people have limited the amounts used or eliminated it completely.

I pal around with a lot of the old timers from the restaurant business and the stories about MSG use are shocking and hilarious. Some guys used to mix straight MSG 50/50 with table salt in the shakers for the tables. Chinese restaurants would buy 50 lb. bags for the week, with some recipes using 2 Tablespoons per portion!

Obviously were not talking about anywhere near those amounts or eating them on a frequent basis. I personally think you'll be fine making this recipe.

If you're looking to follow the recipe to the letter, you can buy MSG in the store under the brand name of "Accent" in the spice aisle. Sometimes it's in the "Ethnic" section.