In 1908, the Japanese invented monosodium glutamate to enhance food flavors, particularly meat-like flavors. Did you know we actually have glutamate receptors on our tongues? It’s the protein in food that the human body recognizes as meat. With the ability to hydrolize just about any protein to create free glutamic acid, we now had a way to create intense, meat-like flavors without any meat present.
To get those flavors before the invention of MSG, people the world over used bone broths. Now industry had created a way to short cut the lengthy and nourishing process of creating stocks from the bones of beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and fish. They could make food that tasted “just as good” at a fraction of the cost.
But at what cost to our health?