Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez MSG is my go-to ingredient that adds depth of flavor to my dishes. It should be added in addition to the salt already listed in a recipe, not as a replacement for it. For every teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, I start with 1/4 teaspoon of MSG and increase it to around 1/2 teaspoon if it needs a more savory punch. MSG—monosodium glutamate—has always shaped the way I eat and cook. It's the seasoning that makes my scrambled eggs, peanut butter noodles, and stews taste restaurant-worthy. My grandparents add it to brisket and stir-fried vegetables, which, truthfully, is probably how they got me to love broccoli . When I briefly became a vegetarian in college, I found myself yearning for the savory richness of meat. Though adding MSG to my cooking didn't fully satisfy that craving, my vegetarian meals became exponentially more delicious once I incorporated it. These days, I rarely serve a dish without a sprinkle of MSG.…