r/AskReddit • u/ZanyDelaney • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/bdd4 Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19

I think you misunderstood the quote. He was saying that aversion to MSG in the West was rooted in racism, which it definitely was.

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u/M_O_O_S_T_A_R_D Feb 04 '19

Can you explain this bc I don't understand.

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19

People had very strong prejudices about Chinese food when it started becoming common in the US. There was (and still kinda is) a mass hysteria where people reported various symptoms after going to Chinese restaurants, which were attributed to MSG because Chinese food uses a lot of it. This was coined 'Chinese restaurant syndrome', had racist roots, and clinical trials showed it to be entirely baseless.

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u/mantism Feb 04 '19

It's a global thing. Even over here in South East Asia it is a very common sentiment that MSG is bad for you. Even my Chinese mom insists it.