begin a Chinese meal with MSG-laden soup Many studies later, toxicologists have concluded that MSG is a harmless ingredient for most people, even in large amounts The most unfortunate aspect of the MSG saga is how it has been exploited to provide a cheap, one-dimensional substitute for real and remarkable foods As Fuchsia Dunlop writes in her book on Sichuan cooking, Land of Plenty, It is a bitter irony that in China of all places, where chefs have spent centuries developing the most sophisticated culinary techniques, this mass-produced white powder should have been given the name wei jing, “the essence of flavor.” The watery home of the seaweeds has shaped their nature in several ways that matter to the cook: Their buoyancy in water has allowed free-floating algae to minimize tough structural supports and maximize photosynthetic tissue Some algae (e.g., nori, sea lettuce) are essentially all leaf, just one or two cells thick, very tender and delicate Their immersion in salt waters of varying concentration has led algae to accumulate various molecules to keep their cells in osmotic balance Some of these molecules contribute to their characteristic flavor Mannitol, a sugar alcohol, is sweet (and, since our bodies can’t metabolize it, low-calorie; see p 662); glutamic acid is savory; and certain complex sulfur compounds give rise to aromatic, oceany dimethyl sulfide Because water selectively absorbs red wavelengths from sunlight, some algae supplement their chlorophyll with special pigments for capturing the remaining wavelengths Many seaweeds are either brown or reddish-purple, and change color when cooked ...photosynthetic tissue Some algae (e.g., nori, sea lettuce) are essentially all leaf, just one or two cells thick, very tender and delicate Their immersion in salt waters of varying concentration has led algae to... accumulate various molecules to keep their cells in osmotic balance Some of these molecules contribute to their characteristic flavor Mannitol, a sugar alcohol, is sweet (and, since our bodies can’t metabolize it, low-calorie; see p... supplement their chlorophyll with special pigments for capturing the remaining wavelengths Many seaweeds are either brown or reddish-purple, and change color when cooked