Although MSG is widely present in daily foods, the role of glutamic acid and other amino acids in enhancing the umami taste of food was only scientifically recognized in the early 20th century. In 1907, Kikunae Ikeda, a researcher at Tokyo Imperial University in Japan, discovered a kind of brown crystal left after the evaporation of kombu (kelp) soup, namely glutamic acid. These crystals have an indescribable but pleasant taste. This flavor, Ikeda can be found in many foods, especially in kelp. Professor Ikeda calls this taste "umami". He then patented a method for large-scale production of glutamate crystals. Professor Ikeda calls monosodium glutamate "Ajinomoto". This "Ajinomoto" that was popular throughout Japan was soon introduced to China and renamed "MSG". Soon, MSG became popular all over the world and became an indispensable condiment for people.
MSG, scientific name is sodium glutamate. Its development roughly has three stages:
The first stage: In 1866, the German Dr. H. Ritthasen (Riedhausen) isolated the amino acid from gluten. They called it glutamic acid and named it glutamic acid according to the raw material. Or glutamic acid (since gluten is derived from wheat). In 1908, Kikunae Ikeda of the University of Tokyo in Japan conducted an experiment and isolated L-glutamic acid crystals from kelp. This crystal is the same substance as L-glutamic acid obtained from protein hydrolysis, and both have an umami taste.
The second stage: using gluten or soybean meal as raw materials to produce MSG through acid hydrolysis. This method was used before 1965. This method consumes a lot of money, has high cost, is labor-intensive, has high equipment requirements, and requires acid-resistant equipment.
The third stage: With the advancement of science and the development of biotechnology, revolutionary changes have taken place in the production of MSG. Since 1965, MSG factories in my country have used grain as raw materials (corn starch, rice, wheat starch, sweet potato starch) to obtain sodium glutamate that meets national standards through microbial fermentation, extraction, and refining, adding a new type of sodium glutamate to the market. A safe and nutritious condiment that makes dishes more delicious after using it. In 1925, Wu Yunchu made his production process public in order to prepare for marketing to Europe and the United States. From 1926 to 1927, Wu Yunchu also applied for patents on the formula and production technology of "Foshou Brand" MSG to developed countries in the chemical industry such as Britain, the United States, and France, and was approved. This is also the first time in Chinese history that a Chinese chemical product has applied for a patent abroad. In 1926, Bergamot brand MSG won the gold medal at the World's Fair in Philadelphia, USA. In 1930 and 1933, Wu Yunchu's MSG continued to win awards at the World Exposition, and Bergamot brand MSG entered overseas markets such as Europe. Japan's "Ajinomoto" has also been replaced by Chinese products in the Southeast Asian market.
According to the Beiyang government’s patent law, Wu Yunchu’s monosodium glutamate patent can enjoy five years of patent protection. In 1926, Wu Yunchu announced that he would give up the domestic patent for MSG and hoped to produce large-scale imitations across the country. Since then, more than a dozen MSG brands have appeared in various parts of the country, and the domestic MSG market has flourished. Japan's "Ajinomoto" can no longer be seen in other parts of China except in the northeastern region of my country occupied by the Japanese Kwantung Army.
In 1925, with the help of the massive May 30th Movement, Japanese products were even more boycotted. Ajinomoto, which was originally unable to compete with MSG, became even more decadent, and even overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia gave up. Japanese Ajinomoto switched to domestic MSG and entered the "Tianchu". Bergamot brand MSG not only entered the markets of Southeast Asian countries, but also quickly became a hot commodity in the market.