18 ms·

Dave Chang has a small scene in one of his Ugly Delicious (great show, by the way) episodes where he gets a group of non-Asian Americans, who claim to be MSG-al

Dave Chang has a small scene in one of his Ugly Delicious (great show, by the way) episodes where he gets a group of non-Asian Americans, who claim to be MSG-allergic, to come and share their stories of MSG-related symptoms after eating at Chinese restaurants. He then hands out Doritos and American products that the participants claim they love and can eat all day. Hard to see where this is going... he says, all these umami flavored products contain MSG. Finally, Dave proposes, “do you think racism plays a part?”

mgh2 6y ago
Maybe people who suffered got confused with the "Fried Rice Syndrome"? https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume5/fried-rice-syndrome-a-disease-of-fast-world-scientific-analysis.000979.php#:~:text=Fried%20Rice%20Syndrome%20is%20a,soil%20and%20food%20%5B1%5D https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume5/fried-rice-syndrome-....
cpncrunch 6y ago
I think it's just a desire to blame something else (wifi, 5g, etc) for health problems, rather than taking responsibility for changing their crappy diet or stressful life.
moron4hire 6y ago
Glutamate is also developed during low-and-slow cooking that causes the breakdown of connective tissues in meat. I had a roommate that swore up and down that he had an MSG allergy, but also ate the shit out of the smoked BBQ our other roommate and I made all the time. He was also kind of a pothead, so there were lots of Doritos in the house, too.
yongjik 6y ago
I wish people stopped invoking racism everywhere, when plain "being misinformed" explains things just fine. Millions of Koreans swear up and down that MSG is bad for health. Are we also being racist? (Against whom?)
- runawaybottle 6y ago
  Bro, Asian on Asian racism is like way higher than western racism towards that region. I’m almost positive Koreans think they are better than Chinese, and the Chinese think they are better than Koreans, and they both low key hate Japan’s uppityness (Of course the Japanese consider them ‘less than’, we can certainly throw in some historical advantage taking to add flame to this). This is like a age old tale in almost any region (think Pakistan/India/Bangladesh). So ya, I can bet you there’s a level of passive aggressive racism to this day, like everywhere else on planet earth.
  - fraudsyndrome 6y ago
    What kind of (racist) actions are taken in the east due to this prejudice they have? And how does that compare (or how is it way higher) to how western racism is towards those minorities in the western countries? Thinking they are better doesn't really compare.
    - runawaybottle 6y ago
      Sure, so the passive aggressive racism is a far cry from what would have been real manifestations of it that occurred in those regions historically. How does it manifest today? Maybe they hear a msg rumor and go ‘yeah, figures’. A better example might be that mainland Chinese people genuinely think Hong Kong people think they are ‘better than mainlanders’, and low key believe in and support the crackdown and integration of Hong Kong (put them in their place). Wild stuff, amongst your own you have this informed hatred. Similar to Karens in America, we don’t have outright segregation, we have a diluted form of it, which of course is a far cry from what it was. The water is not totally filtered yet, need a few more pass throughs (few more generations). As to why I think it’s way higher, it’s simply because the West has strong shallow racism. But the East actually knows the nuances of their region and still find ways to be prejudiced. That just simply takes more bigotry imho, where as in the West they only need pure ignorance.
    - layoutIfNeeded 6y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre https://www.quora.com/If-youre-of-Chinese-ethnicity-and-living-in-South-Korea-is-it-hard-being-accepted-by-the-Koreans https://www.quora.com/If-youre-of-Chinese-ethnicity-and-livi... https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/in-korea-double-standards-on-racism/ https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/in-korea-double-standards-on-r... https://archive.vn/bt6n1 https://archive.vn/bt6n1
asphaltycode 6y ago
If the only food they know to contain MSG is Chinese food then it’s a stretch to call that racism.
- bbrree66 6y ago
  Exactly, but that doesn't fit the narrative! It must be racism!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- brayhite 6y ago
  I think you’re assuming the Dave guy accused those folks of being racist. That’s not the same as suggesting historic racism demonizing MSG is what led to them internalizing some feeling of “MSG allergy”, which is what Dave IS suggesting.
bbrree66 6y ago
What a stupid comment. Are you really saying the only possible reason is racism? When all you have is a hammer...
- sharkjacobs 6y ago
  > “do you think racism plays a part?” > Are you really saying the only possible reason is racism? I don't think that is what they're saying
  - bbrree66 6y ago
    That's exactly what they're saying, why else would they ask? It's the entire purpose of what they're doing. It's a very clear insinuation. Do you think he's asking because he thinks it doesn't play a part? Why even ask then?
drzaiusapelord 6y ago
Yep! I remember being taught it was something "shifty" Chinese people do to their food to make it taste better as a sort of dishonest competitive trick, at the cost of the health of their customers. I was told so many ethnic groups were "shifty" like this compared to the "moral" white majority. I think growing up in the USA means being exposed to a lot of different kinds of racisms and "otherings." Its incredible how in denial some people are over this and how "racism is dead, if it ever existed" is a common theme in the USA, especially over the last 4 years due to presidential politics.
- rayiner 6y ago
  It’s not a “USA” thing. Different groups of people are skeptical of other groups of people, all over the world. The US is just unusual in having enormous amounts of people from different groups interacting with each other. The UK, for example, isn’t just 90% white. It’s 80% white British. Same thing for Germany and France. They’re borderline ethnostates. The US isn’t more than 15% of any ethnic group (with German Americans being the largest group).
  - dotancohen 6y ago
    > The UK, for example, isn’t just 90% white. It’s 80% white British. Is that still the case? My then-13 year old daughter visited London two years ago, when she returned I asked her if the British are as polite as they are rumored to be. Her answer was that there are no British in London, it's a city of all immigrants and tourists.
    - eigenket 6y ago
      London is a massive outlier in basically every way compared to the rest of the UK, but London is still like 45% white British (according to the wiki page). In 2011 roughly 35% of the population of London was born outside the UK. In terms of population the biggest groups are from India, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Bangladesh and Nigeria (in that order). Our last census was 2011 so the data is pretty close to as out of date as it could possibly be. We'll have another in 2021 (I say we although I'll be out of the country for that one).
dotancohen 6y ago
There are also many non-celiacs who would swear that they cannot eat glutten. That does not discredit the actual existence of celiacs. When I was younger, I would sometimes discover that certain foods contain MSG by identifying what I had eaten before the onset of symptoms. Now I've learned to check everything beforehand. And the one time that the mother-in-law used her neighbour's soup mix instead of the soup mix that I bought her, I was able to know by the symptoms. Now my teenagers avoid MSG, but not because they are sensitive. The older of them is a vegetarian, but not because she lacks incisors or canines.
- ubercow13 6y ago
  But coeliacs disease is a real thing, whereas there is no evidence that MSG sensitivity is, so they are not comparable.
  - dotancohen 6y ago
    Of course there is evidence, that is why we are having this discussion. In addition to the evidence that there exists a very small minority of people who are sensitive to MSG, there exists a large industry that is dependent upon the availability of an inexpensive, effective flavour enhancer. That industry has an interest in discrediting the ill effects of MSG, just as the petrochemical industry had an interest in discrediting the effects of CO2 in the atmosphere and the tobacco industry had an interest in discrediting the effects of smoking.
    - ubercow13 6y ago
      I must be mistaken because based on the article, I thought we were having this discussion because there is no evidence.
      - dotancohen 6y ago
        The article mentions right in the beginning that studies have shown evidence for a connection between MSG intake and onset of symptoms.
to11mtm 6y ago
> to come and share their stories of MSG-related symptoms after eating at Chinese restaurants. I've wondered this myself over the years. My current operating theory is that it's not necessarily the MSG but perhaps the Mushroom powder...
- kevinmchugh 6y ago
  It might be the taste of MSG-rich food, when a sensitive individual hasn't eaten recently, that triggers it. This could explain why it's so commonly reported with miso soup - it's served at the beginning of the meal. The association is known by folks who grew up eating MSG natively: https://twitter.com/kenjilopezalt/status/1291882403506475008?s=19 https://twitter.com/kenjilopezalt/status/1291882403506475008... If this were true, it'd explain why other glutamate-rich foods don't have the same reputation. It might suggest that we shouldn't buy doritos from a vending machine when we need a snack, though. Studies where respondents can't taste the MSG don't show an effect, so maybe it's the taste, and not the chemical, that causes the problem. Also it seems unlikely that the MSG could actually get to the brain. I'd love to see an experiment where self-identifying sensitive individuals either eat miso soup or gargle it without swallowing and see if there's a difference in reactions. I'd also like to know more about common knowledge about MSG in Japan and China. (I think the racist myth could cause a psychosomatic effect for people who aren't sensitive)
tootie 6y ago
My white mom became convinced she had MSG sensitivity at some point, but she loved chinese food so much she ate it anyway.
dotancohen 6y ago
> Dave proposes, “do you think racism plays a part?” So does COVID-19 not exist, because somebody called it Chinese Flu? A thing can exist, independent of racism, even if somebody uses it to promote their racism.
- wyattpeak 6y ago
  Sure, but the evidence he's putting forward suggests that it doesn't exist, or at least isn't widely present among people who claim to suffer the condition.
  - dotancohen 6y ago
    Correct, because he is portraying one side of a story. I could point you to studies that show no connection between smoking and lung cancer. That doesn't mean that other studies, with different conclusions, do not exist.
    - wyattpeak 6y ago
      Right, but that's not my point. You seem to suggest that his argument is that MSG allergy doesn't exist because some people's belief in it is racist ("does COVID-19 not exist, because somebody called it Chinese Flu?"). That's not his argument. He argues that it doesn't exist based on the fact that people who claim to be allergic don't suffer ill effects from other MSG-containing products. The comment about racism is secondary, it's not the basis of his claim that the allergy isn't real.
      - dotancohen 6y ago
        > He argues that it doesn't exist based on the fact > that people who claim to be allergic don't suffer > ill effects from other MSG-containing products. Some people who claim to be allergic don't suffer ill effects, and some do. This effect is very well known for other fad allergies, such as gluten intolerance. The existence of "gluten intolerant" people who eat cookies does not preclude the existence of celiacs.
axiolite 6y ago
Or maybe they have a bad reaction to a different ingredient common in Chinese restaurant food, and simply mis-identified it as an MSG allergy? And why exclude Asians who believe they have an MSG allergy? They should have an equal opportunity to be told they are racist, even if against their own ethnicity... Why do so many people allow political correctness make them insane? Is it racist against Italians any time someone says eating pizza made them feel sick? Chinese food is just as Americanized as pizza, anyhow.
Droobfest 6y ago
I still think it's wrong to dismiss people's experiences out of hand and lump it all onto the racism pile. So it's likely not the MSG, but maybe the chinese restaurants these people go to have a reputation for not being the freshest? This can raise histamine levels in the food and cause the same symptoms as an allergic reaction (which it basically is). Whatever it is, there is no reason to assume the food intolerance itself is a lie..
- tptacek 6y ago
  On the one hand, you think it's wrong to suggest there's racism involved in MSG's reputation tying back to "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome", and on the other hand, you offer an axiomatic derivation of Chinese restaurants being unhealthy ("histamines") because of their "reputation for not being the freshest".
  - rrauenza 6y ago
    To be fair, the poster said "the Chinese restaurants they go to..." Not necessarily all. But it's a weak argument... I wonder how much is from blood sugar spikes from white rice and everyone's favorite Americanized sugar glazed Chinese dishes combined with the MSG nocebo effect.
    - CivBase 6y ago
      Where I'm from, Asian cuisine is not very popular with older generations - probably because they didn't grow up with it. It has only recently garnered enough popularity to establish successful chains (aside from highly Americanized options like Panda Express, PF Changs, or HuHot). Small, independent, "Ma & Pa" type restaurants vary much more in quality than established chains. When your only options for Asian food are those kinds of restaurants - and a limited selection at that - it's not surprising for bad quality to sometimes be associated with the cuisine. I still have to drive far out of my way to find good Indian food, despite living in a metropolitan area. Which is a shame, because I really enjoy it.
bassman9000 6y ago
How does umami and Chinese get mixed? Looks to me we just wanted to find racism whatever the cost was.
smsm42 6y ago
I hate how everything is now "racism". Any mistake people make must be "racism". When you have only a hammer everything looks like a nail. A lot of people believe in myriads of myths about food. MSG is one of the strongest ones, which I've heard about from people living in Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia... and probably is popular in Africa too, my sample there is not great. But in the US people are now obsessed with finding "racism" so that must be it. There's also a lot of people who claim gluten allergy without actually having one. Are those racist too? Or maybe we could stop reducing the infinite variety of human behavior - and infinite capacity of humans to delude themselves and others - to one specific reason that is in fashion in the US this season?
asiachick 6y ago
I've always attributed it to the scary chemical sounding name "Monosodium Glutamate" There's that common joke "Di-hydrogenoxide, a little will kill you can and it's in nearly everything. Babies die from it. Why isn't the government doing something about it!" etc and it's always generally easy to convince some people because of the scary sounding name. No racism required
chaganated 6y ago
I'd like to know what the dosages were before telling people that it's "all in their heads," then labeling them as racists.
CivBase 6y ago
I was following until the racism question. People misattribute sources of illness and subsequent recovery all the time. There are still people out there who believe wifi gives them headaches. Why should racism have anything to do with it?
nether 6y ago
What did the people say?
mgraczyk 6y ago
Hmm from my experience this belief is more common amongst Asian Americans than White Americans. Hard to believe that's caused by racism.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
jariel 6y ago
So if it was 'Polish' food and the same phenom existed, would we say 'racism'? No, but probably some mild bits of cultural stereotypes, and frankly - there are good ones and bad ones. As an example of 'positive' cultural stereotypes and possibly racism is 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' - the majority of the practice (all of it?) has zero scientific foundation and is essentially a sham, yet zillions of Westerners pay zillions of dollars for all sort of 'Ancient Chinese Knowledge' which is just quackery. Finally, if there were a significant campaign to demonize 'Doritos' as 'plastic food' much in the same way some people feel about margarine, or hydrogenated fats ... and if we felt 'Chinese food' were 'always natural' then the opposite prejudices might occur. The technical argument for 'racism' could be made but it would just be needlessly aggravating.

mgh2 6y ago

Maybe people who suffered got confused with the "Fried Rice Syndrome"? https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume5/fried-rice-syndrome-a-disease-of-fast-world-scientific-analysis.000979.php#:~:text=Fried%20Rice%20Syndrome%20is%20a,soil%20and%20food%20%5B1%5D https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume5/fried-rice-syndrome-....

cpncrunch 6y ago

I think it's just a desire to blame something else (wifi, 5g, etc) for health problems, rather than taking responsibility for changing their crappy diet or stressful life.

moron4hire 6y ago

Glutamate is also developed during low-and-slow cooking that causes the breakdown of connective tissues in meat. I had a roommate that swore up and down that he had an MSG allergy, but also ate the shit out of the smoked BBQ our other roommate and I made all the time. He was also kind of a pothead, so there were lots of Doritos in the house, too.

yongjik 6y ago

I wish people stopped invoking racism everywhere, when plain "being misinformed" explains things just fine. Millions of Koreans swear up and down that MSG is bad for health. Are we also being racist? (Against whom?)

runawaybottle 6y ago
Bro, Asian on Asian racism is like way higher than western racism towards that region. I’m almost positive Koreans think they are better than Chinese, and the Chinese think they are better than Koreans, and they both low key hate Japan’s uppityness (Of course the Japanese consider them ‘less than’, we can certainly throw in some historical advantage taking to add flame to this). This is like a age old tale in almost any region (think Pakistan/India/Bangladesh). So ya, I can bet you there’s a level of passive aggressive racism to this day, like everywhere else on planet earth.
- fraudsyndrome 6y ago
  What kind of (racist) actions are taken in the east due to this prejudice they have? And how does that compare (or how is it way higher) to how western racism is towards those minorities in the western countries? Thinking they are better doesn't really compare.
  - runawaybottle 6y ago
    Sure, so the passive aggressive racism is a far cry from what would have been real manifestations of it that occurred in those regions historically. How does it manifest today? Maybe they hear a msg rumor and go ‘yeah, figures’. A better example might be that mainland Chinese people genuinely think Hong Kong people think they are ‘better than mainlanders’, and low key believe in and support the crackdown and integration of Hong Kong (put them in their place). Wild stuff, amongst your own you have this informed hatred. Similar to Karens in America, we don’t have outright segregation, we have a diluted form of it, which of course is a far cry from what it was. The water is not totally filtered yet, need a few more pass throughs (few more generations). As to why I think it’s way higher, it’s simply because the West has strong shallow racism. But the East actually knows the nuances of their region and still find ways to be prejudiced. That just simply takes more bigotry imho, where as in the West they only need pure ignorance.
  - layoutIfNeeded 6y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre https://www.quora.com/If-youre-of-Chinese-ethnicity-and-living-in-South-Korea-is-it-hard-being-accepted-by-the-Koreans https://www.quora.com/If-youre-of-Chinese-ethnicity-and-livi... https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/in-korea-double-standards-on-racism/ https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/in-korea-double-standards-on-r... https://archive.vn/bt6n1 https://archive.vn/bt6n1

asphaltycode 6y ago

If the only food they know to contain MSG is Chinese food then it’s a stretch to call that racism.

bbrree66 6y ago
Exactly, but that doesn't fit the narrative! It must be racism!
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
brayhite 6y ago
I think you’re assuming the Dave guy accused those folks of being racist. That’s not the same as suggesting historic racism demonizing MSG is what led to them internalizing some feeling of “MSG allergy”, which is what Dave IS suggesting.

bbrree66 6y ago

What a stupid comment. Are you really saying the only possible reason is racism? When all you have is a hammer...

sharkjacobs 6y ago
> “do you think racism plays a part?” > Are you really saying the only possible reason is racism? I don't think that is what they're saying
- bbrree66 6y ago
  That's exactly what they're saying, why else would they ask? It's the entire purpose of what they're doing. It's a very clear insinuation. Do you think he's asking because he thinks it doesn't play a part? Why even ask then?

drzaiusapelord 6y ago

Yep! I remember being taught it was something "shifty" Chinese people do to their food to make it taste better as a sort of dishonest competitive trick, at the cost of the health of their customers. I was told so many ethnic groups were "shifty" like this compared to the "moral" white majority. I think growing up in the USA means being exposed to a lot of different kinds of racisms and "otherings." Its incredible how in denial some people are over this and how "racism is dead, if it ever existed" is a common theme in the USA, especially over the last 4 years due to presidential politics.

rayiner 6y ago
It’s not a “USA” thing. Different groups of people are skeptical of other groups of people, all over the world. The US is just unusual in having enormous amounts of people from different groups interacting with each other. The UK, for example, isn’t just 90% white. It’s 80% white British. Same thing for Germany and France. They’re borderline ethnostates. The US isn’t more than 15% of any ethnic group (with German Americans being the largest group).
- dotancohen 6y ago
  > The UK, for example, isn’t just 90% white. It’s 80% white British. Is that still the case? My then-13 year old daughter visited London two years ago, when she returned I asked her if the British are as polite as they are rumored to be. Her answer was that there are no British in London, it's a city of all immigrants and tourists.
  - eigenket 6y ago
    London is a massive outlier in basically every way compared to the rest of the UK, but London is still like 45% white British (according to the wiki page). In 2011 roughly 35% of the population of London was born outside the UK. In terms of population the biggest groups are from India, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, Bangladesh and Nigeria (in that order). Our last census was 2011 so the data is pretty close to as out of date as it could possibly be. We'll have another in 2021 (I say we although I'll be out of the country for that one).

dotancohen 6y ago

There are also many non-celiacs who would swear that they cannot eat glutten. That does not discredit the actual existence of celiacs. When I was younger, I would sometimes discover that certain foods contain MSG by identifying what I had eaten before the onset of symptoms. Now I've learned to check everything beforehand. And the one time that the mother-in-law used her neighbour's soup mix instead of the soup mix that I bought her, I was able to know by the symptoms. Now my teenagers avoid MSG, but not because they are sensitive. The older of them is a vegetarian, but not because she lacks incisors or canines.

ubercow13 6y ago
But coeliacs disease is a real thing, whereas there is no evidence that MSG sensitivity is, so they are not comparable.
- dotancohen 6y ago
  Of course there is evidence, that is why we are having this discussion. In addition to the evidence that there exists a very small minority of people who are sensitive to MSG, there exists a large industry that is dependent upon the availability of an inexpensive, effective flavour enhancer. That industry has an interest in discrediting the ill effects of MSG, just as the petrochemical industry had an interest in discrediting the effects of CO2 in the atmosphere and the tobacco industry had an interest in discrediting the effects of smoking.
  - ubercow13 6y ago
    I must be mistaken because based on the article, I thought we were having this discussion because there is no evidence.
    - dotancohen 6y ago
      The article mentions right in the beginning that studies have shown evidence for a connection between MSG intake and onset of symptoms.

to11mtm 6y ago

> to come and share their stories of MSG-related symptoms after eating at Chinese restaurants. I've wondered this myself over the years. My current operating theory is that it's not necessarily the MSG but perhaps the Mushroom powder...

kevinmchugh 6y ago
It might be the taste of MSG-rich food, when a sensitive individual hasn't eaten recently, that triggers it. This could explain why it's so commonly reported with miso soup - it's served at the beginning of the meal. The association is known by folks who grew up eating MSG natively: https://twitter.com/kenjilopezalt/status/1291882403506475008?s=19 https://twitter.com/kenjilopezalt/status/1291882403506475008... If this were true, it'd explain why other glutamate-rich foods don't have the same reputation. It might suggest that we shouldn't buy doritos from a vending machine when we need a snack, though. Studies where respondents can't taste the MSG don't show an effect, so maybe it's the taste, and not the chemical, that causes the problem. Also it seems unlikely that the MSG could actually get to the brain. I'd love to see an experiment where self-identifying sensitive individuals either eat miso soup or gargle it without swallowing and see if there's a difference in reactions. I'd also like to know more about common knowledge about MSG in Japan and China. (I think the racist myth could cause a psychosomatic effect for people who aren't sensitive)

tootie 6y ago

My white mom became convinced she had MSG sensitivity at some point, but she loved chinese food so much she ate it anyway.

dotancohen 6y ago

> Dave proposes, “do you think racism plays a part?” So does COVID-19 not exist, because somebody called it Chinese Flu? A thing can exist, independent of racism, even if somebody uses it to promote their racism.

wyattpeak 6y ago
Sure, but the evidence he's putting forward suggests that it doesn't exist, or at least isn't widely present among people who claim to suffer the condition.
- dotancohen 6y ago
  Correct, because he is portraying one side of a story. I could point you to studies that show no connection between smoking and lung cancer. That doesn't mean that other studies, with different conclusions, do not exist.
  - wyattpeak 6y ago
    Right, but that's not my point. You seem to suggest that his argument is that MSG allergy doesn't exist because some people's belief in it is racist ("does COVID-19 not exist, because somebody called it Chinese Flu?"). That's not his argument. He argues that it doesn't exist based on the fact that people who claim to be allergic don't suffer ill effects from other MSG-containing products. The comment about racism is secondary, it's not the basis of his claim that the allergy isn't real.
    - dotancohen 6y ago
      > He argues that it doesn't exist based on the fact > that people who claim to be allergic don't suffer > ill effects from other MSG-containing products. Some people who claim to be allergic don't suffer ill effects, and some do. This effect is very well known for other fad allergies, such as gluten intolerance. The existence of "gluten intolerant" people who eat cookies does not preclude the existence of celiacs.

axiolite 6y ago

Or maybe they have a bad reaction to a different ingredient common in Chinese restaurant food, and simply mis-identified it as an MSG allergy? And why exclude Asians who believe they have an MSG allergy? They should have an equal opportunity to be told they are racist, even if against their own ethnicity... Why do so many people allow political correctness make them insane? Is it racist against Italians any time someone says eating pizza made them feel sick? Chinese food is just as Americanized as pizza, anyhow.

Droobfest 6y ago

I still think it's wrong to dismiss people's experiences out of hand and lump it all onto the racism pile. So it's likely not the MSG, but maybe the chinese restaurants these people go to have a reputation for not being the freshest? This can raise histamine levels in the food and cause the same symptoms as an allergic reaction (which it basically is). Whatever it is, there is no reason to assume the food intolerance itself is a lie..

tptacek 6y ago
On the one hand, you think it's wrong to suggest there's racism involved in MSG's reputation tying back to "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome", and on the other hand, you offer an axiomatic derivation of Chinese restaurants being unhealthy ("histamines") because of their "reputation for not being the freshest".
- rrauenza 6y ago
  To be fair, the poster said "the Chinese restaurants they go to..." Not necessarily all. But it's a weak argument... I wonder how much is from blood sugar spikes from white rice and everyone's favorite Americanized sugar glazed Chinese dishes combined with the MSG nocebo effect.
  - CivBase 6y ago
    Where I'm from, Asian cuisine is not very popular with older generations - probably because they didn't grow up with it. It has only recently garnered enough popularity to establish successful chains (aside from highly Americanized options like Panda Express, PF Changs, or HuHot). Small, independent, "Ma & Pa" type restaurants vary much more in quality than established chains. When your only options for Asian food are those kinds of restaurants - and a limited selection at that - it's not surprising for bad quality to sometimes be associated with the cuisine. I still have to drive far out of my way to find good Indian food, despite living in a metropolitan area. Which is a shame, because I really enjoy it.

bassman9000 6y ago

How does umami and Chinese get mixed? Looks to me we just wanted to find racism whatever the cost was.

smsm42 6y ago

I hate how everything is now "racism". Any mistake people make must be "racism". When you have only a hammer everything looks like a nail. A lot of people believe in myriads of myths about food. MSG is one of the strongest ones, which I've heard about from people living in Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia... and probably is popular in Africa too, my sample there is not great. But in the US people are now obsessed with finding "racism" so that must be it. There's also a lot of people who claim gluten allergy without actually having one. Are those racist too? Or maybe we could stop reducing the infinite variety of human behavior - and infinite capacity of humans to delude themselves and others - to one specific reason that is in fashion in the US this season?

asiachick 6y ago

I've always attributed it to the scary chemical sounding name "Monosodium Glutamate" There's that common joke "Di-hydrogenoxide, a little will kill you can and it's in nearly everything. Babies die from it. Why isn't the government doing something about it!" etc and it's always generally easy to convince some people because of the scary sounding name. No racism required

chaganated 6y ago

I'd like to know what the dosages were before telling people that it's "all in their heads," then labeling them as racists.

CivBase 6y ago

I was following until the racism question. People misattribute sources of illness and subsequent recovery all the time. There are still people out there who believe wifi gives them headaches. Why should racism have anything to do with it?

nether 6y ago

What did the people say?

mgraczyk 6y ago

Hmm from my experience this belief is more common amongst Asian Americans than White Americans. Hard to believe that's caused by racism.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

jariel 6y ago

So if it was 'Polish' food and the same phenom existed, would we say 'racism'? No, but probably some mild bits of cultural stereotypes, and frankly - there are good ones and bad ones. As an example of 'positive' cultural stereotypes and possibly racism is 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' - the majority of the practice (all of it?) has zero scientific foundation and is essentially a sham, yet zillions of Westerners pay zillions of dollars for all sort of 'Ancient Chinese Knowledge' which is just quackery. Finally, if there were a significant campaign to demonize 'Doritos' as 'plastic food' much in the same way some people feel about margarine, or hydrogenated fats ... and if we felt 'Chinese food' were 'always natural' then the opposite prejudices might occur. The technical argument for 'racism' could be made but it would just be needlessly aggravating.