Q: MSG is not too healthy to consume, so why do Restaurants insist on using this in their food?
A: MSG in its commercially extracted form is a flavor enhancer that was discovered by the Japanese early last century, one of the major MSG manufacturers is Ajinomoto whose company name has become a generic term for MSG in Asia. But note that MSG in the natural form occurs in many foodstuffs that humans eat. For centuries Asians had been consuming food like seaweed or cooking with it without knowing anything about MSG. MSG is probably used by restaurants as a quick fix to heighten taste of their dishes and in inferior restaurants to disguise poor ingredients & lack of culinary skill. But it would be unfair to solely point the finger at Asian restaurants as MSG is found in lots of commercial seasonings & condiments, both Asian & Western in origin. Just look at the ingredient listings of your own seasonings & processed foods in your home. And don't be fooled by many 'MSG-free' claims if you see stuff like hydrolyzed soy/vegetable protein, hydrolyzed yeast, the code E621 and food additives like disodium inosinate & disodium guanylate (usually used together with MSG). It's quite difficult to avoid MSG in its 'artificial' form if you regularly eat out and have lots of commercial processed & packaged food at home. The only thing is to mainly cook your own food using natural ingredients & seasonings as much as possible.