MiMi Aye, a Burmese chef and cookbook author, has used MSG in her cooking for as long as she can remember. While preparing a meal for Anna and Lucy, she reflects on her processes in the kitchen, and how a misinformed narrative around the ingredient has impacted her personally.

Also featuring insight into umami from Dr Kumiko Ninomiya of the Umami Information Center, and reflections on MSG 20 years on from his original Observer Food Monthly article about it from investigative journalist Alex Renton.

In To Be Delicious, Dr Anna Sulan Masing explores MSG - and more broadly umami - through the lens of East and South East Asian food heritage and diaspora food culture in the UK. From fritters to instant ramen, fermentation to takeaways, these five episodes open out the conversation around MSG and find a breadth of new ways for us to think about its usage within cooking, and its importance within cultural heritage.

Credits:

Hosted by @annasulan

Produced by @dearlovelucy & @annasulan

Original theme music by @midorijaeger

Podcast artwork by @npl_illustration

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

The series is completely editorially independent and was made possible, along with Anna's wider research, by support from the European Committee for Umami and Ajinomoto.

Anna's book, Chinese and Any Other Asian: Exploring East and South East Asian Identity in Britain is out in February. Pre order now.