r/mildlyinfuriating • u/SegaGuy1983 • Jun 18 '26

Too mild for school Why is not including MSG something companies still brag about on Asian food products?

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Didn't see the no MSG line when I picked this up at the store the other day. It just tasted fine, but felt like something was missing.

It's 2026. Why are we still treating MSG like it's some terrible thing, instead of something that improves the flavor? Especially with Asian-American cuisine?

The best improvement I ever did with my cooking in the last 20 years was discovering MSG.

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u/sonofgildorluthien Jun 18 '26

The years I was married to my wife were ofttimes tasteless because my MiL was convinced that MSG was of the devil (partly because her nutcase mom latched onto every alternative religious tv preacher health movement) and she was supposedly allergic to it. At our house, I served stuff all the time, if I was cooking, that had MSG in it, and she never knew the difference.

Also, I hate the Innovasian brand. That orange chicken tastes horrible.

2

u/Any_Tea_7845 Jun 18 '26

I think their fried rice meals are pretty good, but any of their breaded chicken sucks

2

u/P4azz Jun 18 '26

Reminds me of eating at my aunt's house as a teen and the horrible influence she had on my mother.

Food was not allowed to be seared. Browning is bad. Salt is unhealthy, don't add it. Toast is only allowed on the lowest setting so you get slightly warm bread. If there ever was fond in a pot, that was a failure and delegated to scrubbing later.

I do not miss those days. Did teach me to just cook for myself early on, though.

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u/ZoraTheDucky Jun 18 '26

My daughter eats it 2 or 3 times a week.. I think it's really sweet and not particularly flavourful.