Some time ago, the editor received a private message from a fan, saying that he had been cooking for more than 30 years, but he didn't expect the dishes he had recently cooked to be disgusted by the whole family!
What's going on here?
It turned out that this fan and her wife both had high blood pressure and were required to eat a low-sodium and light diet, so they rarely put salt in cooking, and she didn't dare to use soy sauce, bean paste, and chili sauce with a heavier taste, and relied on monosodium glutamate and chicken essence to improve freshness.
She used to always brush up on the Internet that MSG and chicken essence are not good for her health, thinking that she and her wife have chronic diseases, and the grandson at home is still so young, so she simply didn't let it go.
But in this way, the food is basically tasteless, and I really can't eat it, so the family starts to complain, and the son and daughter-in-law simply go outside to secretly "open a small stove", and the number of times they go home to eat is getting less and less. This fan is also very difficult, although he wants to balance his body and deliciousness at the same time, but he really can't think of a way to deal with such a situation......
The mainland food culture pays attention to "color, aroma and taste", and seasoning is a very important step in cooking. Especially for vegetarian dishes, if you just add a little salt, there is no aroma and texture of meat, and it is naturally difficult to swallow.
But in recent years, as people's attention to health has increased, there have been more and more controversies about seasonings, especially monosodium glutamate and chicken essence - no nutrition, harmful to the body, and more "terrible" than salt...... I think everyone has heard some of these "crimes" to some extent.
But is this really the case? Coco specifically consulted the information and consulted the nutritionists, and learned the following two points:
1. The main components of chicken essence and monosodium glutamate are the same, but there are more additives
In terms of chemical composition, both are composed of monosodium glutamate, which can enhance freshness and flavoring.
However, on the basis of monosodium glutamate, chicken essence also adds additives such as chicken or chicken bone meal, spices, inosinic acid, and guanylate to make it more delicious.
Chicken essence ingredient list 2.The sodium content is not low, and eating more is not beneficial to the body
The 2022 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents changed the daily salt intake for adults from the original recommendation < 6 grams to <5 grams.
左为2016版，右为2022版
The reason why it is necessary to strictly limit salt is mainly because of the sodium element it contains - too much sodium in the human body may not only cause risks such as increased blood pressure, increased blood sugar, cardiovascular problems, etc., but also cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, brain, bones, etc.
Monosodium glutamate, the main ingredient of monosodium glutamate and chicken essence, is also a sodium salt, and the sodium content is actually very high, and if you eat too much, it will also bring risks.
Does this mean that for the sake of the body, you can only sacrifice taste? Of course not!
Coco worked hard and tried almost 20 kinds of condiments, and finally found a matsutake seasoning called "Matsu Xianxian".
It is like a concentrated mushroom soup, the taste is very fresh, just a handful, the whole dish adds soul! And it has no additives at all, and the sodium content is also low, which can easily replace monosodium glutamate and chicken essence, and even salt can be saved if you eat it lightly!