We are a fairly health-conscious family. When moving to China, we were concerned about MSG (monosodium glutamate) in our foods, as are many Westerners living here. Chinese people often don’t understand our concern about MSG. They view it as a spice and flavor-enhancer, similar to salt in its role in food preparation. What’s the big deal?

Indeed Health Canada says the following about MSG (and the American FDA makes a similar statement):

“In general, the use of MSG is not a health hazard to consumers. The safety of MSG has been reviewed by regulatory authorities and scientists worldwide, including Health Canada. However, some individuals who consume MSG may exhibit an allergic-type reaction or hypersensitivity. For those people, the effects of consuming food containing MSG may include: a burning sensation, facial pressure, headache, nausea and chest pains appearing about 20 minutes after consumption and disappearing about two hours later. Such reactions have generally been reported to be temporary and not associated with severe adverse health effects. People sensitive enough to be affected are advised to avoid the use of this substance.”

As a family, we choose not to consume it. So one of the first phrases we learned to say in Chinese was, “不要味精” (bù yào wèi jīng) or Hold the MSG!

When it came time to choose the name for our vlog site, it seemed a logical choice. We hope you enjoy your visit here.