For decades, 味精 was a cornerstone of Chinese home and restaurant cooking, just as essential as salt or soy sauce. Its ability to create a deep savory flavor, known as `鲜 (xiān)` or umami, made it an inexpensive and effective way to elevate simple dishes. Many older Chinese cooks consider it an indispensable part of their pantry. The cultural story of 味精 becomes complex when viewed from a Western perspective due to the phenomenon known as “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.” In the late 1960s, a narrative emerged in the United States linking symptoms like headaches, numbness, and palpitations to eating at Chinese restaurants, with MSG being singled out as the culprit. This created a lasting stigma around both MSG and, by extension, Chinese cuisine in the West. It is crucial for learners to understand that extensive, double-blind scientific studies have since failed to establish a clear, consistent link between MSG consumption and these symptoms in the general population. While a small percentage of people may have a sensitivity, the “syndrome” is now widely regarded by the scientific community as a xenophobic myth. In modern China, while a health-conscious movement has led some to reduce its use, 味精 is not viewed with the same level of suspicion as it often is in the West. It is seen more as a traditional, perhaps slightly old-fashioned, ingredient rather than a dangerous chemical.