> My mom theorizes that lots of MSG was used to cover up the fact that, say, shrimp was a day past its prime, and that the sick feeling was due to the food but

> My mom theorizes that lots of MSG was used to cover up the fact that, say, shrimp was a day past its prime, and that the sick feeling was due to the food but got blamed on the MSG. There’s never been a scientifically rigorous study that’s linked MSG with any negative effects. Totally agree with this. MSG can really bring out flavor and doesn't deserve the bad reputation it has. I do think that a lot of American Chinese restaurant put way too much of the stuff to cover cheap bad tasting ingredients but used lightly when cooking good food, it's amazing. Apart from that, I disagree with his notion that spices don't go bad. It depends on the weather, you can get fungi in humid weather and the oils can go rancid causing the flavor to not just be lessened but to also be bad. That said, in places with a temperate climate and without high levels of humidity a lot of the spices can last for years.