What is soy and is it the same as monosodium glutamate?

Answer 1

Soy is a kind of bean from which we get liquids, oils, meal, paste, etc. MSG - Monosodium Glutamate - is a flavour enhancer usually industrially fermented by bacteria. The constituents of MSG, Glutamate, are found in nearly all foods as a protein amino acid.

Free Glutamate, that provides the same flavour enhancement as MSG, is found in high concentrations in fermented bean products, like Soy sauce, and other foods such as yeast, sharp cheeses, fish sauce etc...

Answer 2

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a white crystalline powder. It is a sodium salt of glutamic acid -- an amino acid. It is made from fermenting molasses, sugar beets, sugar cane or starch.

Soy protein can be hydrolyzed and can produce free glutamate. It is often used in products because of this property and because it gives a meaty flavor to soy sauce and other foods. This flavor is thought to appeal to the fifth flavor -- called umami.

Cooked meats can also have free glutamates -- this may be one reason why we especially like grilled meats -- because of the free glutamates.

Answer 3

Hydrolyzed is chemically or physically combined with hydrogen or water (dihydrogen oxide.) Crisco is an example of hydrolyzed, or partially hydrogenated, oil.

Lipolyzed (by the word) is the other side of that; in the same example Crisco could be considered lipolyzed (lipoprotein infused aka fat-combined) water.

Neither of them are Monosodium Glutamate, though use of modified compounds may indicate a likelihood of using MSG.