Ran out of salt can I use MSG (monosodium glutamate) instead?
I can't read in local language and was looking to buy some salt, so I went to local shop picked up what looked like it (white crystals in plain plastic bag without much colour and decoration). I tasted it and it did have 'salty' feel to it, so I bought it... I then went home and ran EAN barcode check and it turned out to be monosodium glutamate (MSG).
I am to lazy to go back to shop and willing to compromise on taste this time...
Can I use monosodium glutamate instead of salt?
Best Answer
Sure you can. It will not taste salty, but it also will not taste bland, it will have a "seasoned" taste. Will you like it that way, or miss the salt? That's not something we can predict (or you, for that matter, if you have not tried it before). You have to taste it so you can know if you personally enjoy eating saltless, umami food.
When trying, make sure that you are using very small quantities. Measure in knifetips, not in teaspoons, add one at the time and stir well. You can easily overdo it, and there is no way to go back. Pay speciall attention to the feeling of "It's not good yet" - it can come from "not enough seasoning" or from "not enough salt", in the second case adding more MSG won't help.
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Quick Answer about "Ran out of salt can I use MSG (monosodium glutamate) instead?"
Sure you can. It will not taste salty, but it also will not taste bland, it will have a "seasoned" taste.Is it OK to replace salt with MSG?
MSG is not a salt substitute per se, but it is a substitute for salt when you want less salt. Since MSG still contains some sodium, think of it as an ingredient to lower sodium/salt, but not as a salt substitute necessarily.Does MSG count as sodium?
However, MSG has two-thirds less sodium than table salt (MSG contains approximately 12 percent sodium while table salt contains 39 percent sodium). Since MSG still contains some sodium, it can be used as an ingredient to lower sodium, but not as a salt substitute necessarily.Is MSG better than table salt?
"MSG has two-thirds less sodium than table salt and imparts umami - a savory taste. Taste is a key factor in what people decide to eat. Using MSG as a replacement for some salt in the diet and to increase the appeal of nutritious foods can help make healthy eating easier, likely leading to a positive impact on health."How is monosodium glutamate different from salt?
The key difference between MSG and salt is that the MSG (monosodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid whereas salt is primarily sodium chloride. Both MSG and salt contains sodium. The term MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. It is a food additive that we use to enhance the flavour of processed food.MSG (Monosodium glutamate): The Savory Salt Substitute that'll Make you Cuckoo (Neurotoxin!): 2020
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Answer 2
The simple answer is no. The mouth feels five distinct flavours. Salty (from salt) is one of them. Umami (from MSG) is another.
They are not the same flavour at all, and cannot be directly substituted.
Also, MSG is not hygroscopic in the way salt is. It won't "pull the water out of" meat or vegetables the way that salt does.
Answer 3
Some time has passed and you might have already bought salt but maybe consider this next time. In dry-pan frying you can use lemon juice. If for example you are frying thin cuts of meat (works on chicken) you can squeeze some lemon juice directly into the pan. You can immediately smell the saltiness. Otherwise, you can salt through sallty condiments such as soy sauce and others. Hope this helps :)
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