Dan and Kenji Use MSG to Make Fried Rice, Chili Crisp, and a Dirty Martini | What's Eating Dan?

[@Leg0z]

My family often asks me why my cooking is so good. I tell them it's because I cook with love. But it's really because I have a giant bottle of MSG and I put it on literally everything I cook when no one is looking.

[@hurgcat]

it is the secret weapon!

[@Ninjalectual]

You should probably share, I hate cooks who keep secrets!

[@BooBaddyBig]

I mean, you're not lying, you love MSG.

[@Lvl69Dad]

Hahahahaha

[@themeaningoflifeexpert]

12 WAYS MSG DESTROYS THE BODY --- kzbin.infooEzHLxkkHh8?feature=share

[@dxingchenify]

I have friends who swore they are allergic to MSG but have no problem gulfing down a bag of potato chips that has MSG as an ingredient.

[@Piasays]

Lol. I had a friend that couldnt eat a lot of stuff because she is allergic to msg. It gave her seizures. I remember she got out of having to choose a meal plan in college because she couldnt eat any of the food.

[@fluffycritter]

There are definitely a lot of people who have fake MSG sensitivities but there are also definitely real MSG sensitivities and it's unfortunate that the discourse around it has become so politicized and permanently damaged by some unfortunate discourse that started in the 70s when one person called it "Chinese restaurant syndrome." For me, highly-concentrated MSG affects me very differently than the glutamates that naturally occur in all of the "gotcha" foods like tomatoes and parmesan, and the MSG-heavy snack foods give me horrible headaches that don't happen even with very thick mushroom broth. It was actually noticing the difference between how I handled flavored and unflavored corn chips that clued me into having a problem. It might just be a matter of concentration, or it might be a matter of other chemicals coming along with it (such as having too much salt or some of those other nucleotides Dan mentioned in the intro), but in my experience it's best for me to avoid things that list MSG on their ingredients.

[@Piasays]

@@fluffycritter aaw man thank you for sharing. Im glad you figured out your sensitivity so now you know to avoid certain things. “Chinese restaurant syndrome” is effed up 🙄

[@BooBaddyBig]

It's probably a histamine reaction. Lots of high MSG foods are fermented, and fermentation creates histamine. Potato chips aren't fermented, neither are tomatoes.

[@fluffycritter]

@@BooBaddyBig I get histamine reactions to a lot of foods but the MSG reaction is pretty different. But the fermentation aspect might still be a glance in the right direction for figuring it out.

[@sandraseldon6734]

My dad used msg as a flavor enhancement in the 70’s and he also introduced us to prolific use of garlic. To say he was ahead of the times is an understatement. He was a home chef and we were recipients of his interest and talent. MSG got such negative press so I am pleased to see it making a comeback. Excellent video.

[@lookirl]

My dad was a home cook as well! I’ve not come across anyone else who said that before, I got to enjoy my 70’s, 80’s and most of my 90’s with him, and excellent food.

[@sfhayesvalley]

Kenji and Dan are the best food pairing since peanut butter and jelly! So cool to see them together.

[@dougwhitmoyer9863]

Came here to recommend a peanut butter and chili crisp sandwich thought this seemed an appropriate place to leave it.

[@priestbyname]

You’re both right!

[@SansBalance]

Not “konbu and katsuobushi“? I would think that’s a more relevant pairing here. 😛

[@annieclaire2348]

My thoughts too! These two are fantastic and I'd love to see them do this again lots of times!

[@ramencurry6672]

Kenji has a unique voice. I can imagine over hearing him talk from another room and recognizing his voice

[@clhughes1000]

Chili crisp over GOOD fresh peaches is next level, my dad goes through a jar a month eating this in the summer. In the summer, I'll combine cold udon noodles, poached chicken, shredded fresh veggies(carrot, zuchinni, squash, etc), and sliced peaches, then toss with chili crisp and sesame oil, then sesame seeds over the top. Soooo good and refreshing.

[@shanek2285]

I love peaches with tomatoes cheese and olive oil. Sorta similar but i will definitely have to try those ideas that noodle dish sounds amazing thanks for the recipe

[@thatsclassicher1149]

Sounds so good

[@Hermaniac8]

That sounds fuckin banging

[@mastod0n1]

That sounds kinda like one of my favorite summer snacks of Tajín seasoning sprinkled over pineapple or mango.

[@goudagirl6095]

funny I put SALT on peaches, apples and watermelon, so it's probably close to the same "umami" type of thing.

[@phoebejones4705]

The problem with MSG is people tend to over use it to replace the lack of quality ingredients. As you put it, it enhance not replace. Very fair judgement.

[@Jacksirrom]

My late, great high school chemistry teacher was a former Frito Lay food scientist in Texas. He said his favorite Dorito was the unseasoned ones only available to workers. RIP Bob White!

[@Furluge]

... So he liked tortilla chips?

[@passiveaggressive6175]

I kinda miss KLA’s home cook vlogs during Covid (especially the late night snacks). It’s like we were all in it together😂😭❤️🙏

[@crestonediamond]

🤣

[@chrisgordon9829]

Yup!!!

[@SansBalance]

But COVID ain’t over, yet…

[@CPUGaming]

Yeah really sad his channel slowed down so much

[@palmer1290]

He just posted a new one!! He must have seen your comment!

[@suyashpingle]

Wow, just wow. What an episode. Loved it. Dan and Kenji together talking about the magic powder.Yes please

[@maggotbitch]

Magic powder 😂

[@mastod0n1]

I love when Kenji releases a book because that means he's going to be doing the rounds on my favorite cooking channels on KZbin to promote it. Wish he'd do more crossovers when he's not in the middle of a promotion cycle but I'll take what I can get lol

[@johnsanchez9580]

really cool seeing kenji explain the motions behind the toss in the stir fry

[@drrjackson]

This one of the best videos Dan has done! The right side of the chart he showed could also have included nutritional yeast, which is PACKED with nucleotides. Please, everyone, try making a Caesar dressing with both parm and "nootch." You'll never leave either out again. You can even ditch the egg if you'd like, because the yeast does some thickening.

[@zacablaster]

Nutritional yeast is basically canned cheese flavor dust and it's great

[@bflogal18]

I add nutritional yeast to my homemade vegetable stock. It’s the base to many of my recipes and would not be the same without the nootch.

[@daala6698]

Yes oc. I learned about nut.yeast (that was so confusing because there are no nuts) back in Tennessee at a place called "The Farm" in Summertown Tennessee. They were and are "strict vegetarians", now called vegan. There is a GREAT cookbook called "The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook" that is unique in the early teaching of how to make chewey gluten steaks, called saitan, and nut.yeast Cheezy Sauce. Great stories in it about Uncle Bill too.

[@josephcretini2476]

As someone who absorbs a ton of food KZbin, I thoroughly enjoyed this and honestly think it was of my favorite videos I've seen in weeks. Subscription earned!

[@ssiowi]

loved everything; especially the riemann hypothesis chat on proportions. great fun Gents; thank-you both.

[@Unforgettable0219]

I'm from the Philippines, been using MSG to whatever I and my family would cook. I'm now 68 and no major health issues.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’m so happy to see a new episode of ‘What’s Eating Dan?’ 👏🏽

[@whatsupdate]

Dan is by far my favorite food nerd. Kenji is probably second.

[@aaron74]

The best Dan episode so far. Jam packed with interesting information!

[@lilliatha4053]

Dirty Martinis? I have a whole new level of respect for you. That was my specialty when I worked in restaurants and bars. Its a rare group who love a Dirty Martini.

[@bbrown333]

Well, include me! I love them!

[@koreyb]

Marmite and worcestershire sauce are what I use to add a huge amount of flavor to savory foods. They key is to not add too much. A teaspoon of each is plenty.

[@ginnyherman4430]

Dan! Kenji! • I made the ginger frozen yogurt (fermented 24 hrs | strained for 6) and am totally making chili crisp & I'll live in bathtub forever with it! • I also made a sweet cream ice cream that I topped with parm, olive oil & big ole flaky salt : will add a bit o msg next time. Y'all are thee best. Keep it up!

[@BraxtonHoward]

As a data nerd this is the best collaboration I've seen.

[@acon_young_weezy]

He doesn’t say it here, but love kenjis theory that words are meant for communication. When he says stir-frying should really be toss-frying kinda blew my mind lol. Because yeah I don’t really stir it, I toss it.

[@Ryan-iv8bx]

many take-outs from this vid. hats off. biggest for me was when kenji said 2% salt when u want them to buy more beers, meaning when u want it extra salty, and dan proceeded to add at least 50% more than super salty to the salt stock

[@markust8904]

That was a great and enjoyable episode. Kenji has so many insights, and it was great to see you use olive brine for your martini. I use it in a clamato ceaser drink. and the chili crisp i will be trying that out with ice cream. Well done!!

[@annieclaire2348]

Yay! Two of my very favourite science foodies together on one video!!!!! What could be better! Please do this again soon!!!

[@carykerber9996]

This is one of my favorite episode. Kenji and Dan nailed it! Thanks for clarifying MSG is safe. I knew most of the snacks have Msg that's why its delicious! Great episode! 👍

[@tomsaaristo6294]

Thank you for demystifying MSG via this discussion on umami

[@tgirard123]

I need to become so good at Asian cooking that I need a 'Travel Wok'. GREAT episode btw :)

[@wylyparis9646]

Late to the party, but thought I'd share. I keep a 32oz deli container full of what I call chef salt. Fist, you combine 25% by weight sodium inosinate and guanylate (I+G) with 75% by weight monosodium glutamate (GSM). Then this new mixture you combine 10% by weight with 90% by weight salt. The I+G significantly boost the umami effects of the MSG and having it premixed with kosher salt just makes for a coinvent and intuitive use. I use this salt on all savory applications.

[@lorandoane118]

I love watching food scientists at work. Sure they call themselves Cooks or Chefs, but they are in fact flavor Scientists.

[@erikfreitas9288]

Amazing episode! I learned so much! That fried rice looks sooooo good!

[@barbararoyal6139]

Enjoyed watching you both cooking and explaining. Thank you 🕊

[@RahRan123]

this is why learning the metric system is important. for 500 ml like 1-1.5 gram of salt max! also salt varies in saltiness.

[@Rebecca-dm5ul]

Omg love the chemistry aspect of this.

[@Rdasboss]

Full circle, im glad this collaboration can happen

[@kevinparcher8514]

Outstanding episode! Thank you!

[@lindacoffin5110]

Dan and Kenji! Great combo!

[@akuro6470]

It's funny to see that even Dan becomes starstruck in the presence of Kenji

[@luke9822]

17:43 Does Kenji now recommend wok cooking for those who only have induction cooktops? I recall him saying in the past that if you have induction you should just use a skillet due to not being able to get heat up the sides of the wok.

[@dkatzism]

Kenji's also a killer violinist! Nice to see him back at America's Test Kitchen.

[@tiacho2893]

I'm an old and remember when Kenji would enter from off camera for ATK recipe demos. And I'm Korean and handing your kid the violin at a young age was a big thing for Korean parents.

[@Hannahorse715]

@@tiacho2893 Kenji is not Korean he’s German American and Colombian

[@patrickmurray4418]

Not correct. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is Japanese American. Feel free to look him up on Wikipedia . ❤️😬🤙🏾

[@whatsupdate]

@@patrickmurray4418 Kenji is Kenji. Period.

[@jetfour07]

@@Hannahorse715 his wife is Colombian, but not him.

[@zekelucente9702]

I have some leftover pork tenderloin and now I’m going to make fried rice. Thanks Dan your videos are always so interesting and informative.

[@goudagirl6095]

Extra dirty, extra dry martini's are the BEST! Never had it with MSG but I'll try anything once!

[@SiouxTika]

One of my “other mothers” as my mom always said was a Vietnamese woman whom I love dearly. She cooked with MSG out of a baby food jar and I love that.

[@a3yeung]

I love Dan so much! thx for all these vids!

[@lachina4151]

Wonderful, informative KZbin video. Appreciate your videos. Great job!

[@gabrielab7648]

❤ wow! I just tasted the ice cream and boy did it fire up all my taste glands!🎉 ❤ thanks for this! 👍

[@ma1siesdaddy]

15:29 if you want to cook with a wok at home remove that defuser plate first. Then you’ll get the concentrated flame Kenji is describing to use when wok cooking.

[@KickyFut]

Yeah, this!! I said (to myself) the very same thing. That round cap that difuses the flame into tiny flames in a circle can be easily removed... Which makes the fire bigger and centered on the bottom of the wok.

[@DJ-wi9yk]

The chicken soup tasting sooo reminded me of that episode of Ab Fab when Eddie and Patsy are at the wine tasting in France. 😂 so funny.

[@anna4banana4]

Can you please post the full information on how to find the articles you show in the video? I am interested in reading the full text. Thank you.

[@kristahanley6582]

Chili crisp and vanilla ice cream is amazing!! I love your videos Dan!

[@dominicjohnson5350]

The two of you had great chemistry (😏) would love to see more collabs in the future!

[@tyghe_bright]

I LOVE chili crisp on ice cream. Vanilla is fantastic, but it's also amazing on black sesame ice cream with toasted coconut.

[@jeffreyschmidt3997]

Wow, sounds amazing. Can you buy this or do you have a link to recipe?

[@PlebiasFate1609]

22:26 everytime i see that jar my head will be imaging john xina making a smile and yelling LOA GAN MA! zao shang hao zong guo wo you bing chilling 😅

[@silvsilvsilv]

12:30 And this is why I like Kenji more than 90% of other chefs.

[@aaronbegg3827]

That timestamp there shows that he is more than just an amazing chef, he is a damn good human being.

[@victorbenner539]

So much to digest in this video. It's like 3 or 4 videos crammed together. That fried rice dish looked fantastic. Have a great day. 🌤

[@irock550]

His voice is just chefs kiss

[@billburbank4314]

So informative...kenji is awesome...as is Dan.

[@techercat3668]

Another great episode! Brian David Gilbert's recipe for pepcorn uses Lao Gan Ma - I haven't tried it but it looks tasty. I love Piri Piri seasoning + cinnamon on vanilla ice cream, so I imagine this might be similar: the kick of the spice and the cool of the cream complement each other well.

[@SL-vs7fs]

The MSG sensitivity, when it’s psychological, reminds me of Chuck’s illness in Better Call Saul. It’s unreal how powerful the mind is in creating delusions.

[@recipeshubbyjagruti704]

Chili crisp looks so yummy , Thank you so much for sharing such as wonderful recipe.

[@haebee]

if salt is the treble, msg is the midrange and sweetness is the bass.

[@alexPsanz]

Salt is obviously the bass

[@sdm031]

mix engineer?

[@sdm031]

not a bad analogy

[@alexbasson]

Just on a lark, last week I added a spoonful of chili crisp to some egg salad I was making for lunch and oh my goodness was it amazing.

[@annalake7019]

I've been waiting for this episode since seeing Dan's Instagram story about the chili crisp on ice cream. I was so intrigued (and, admittedly, a little put off!) by the idea then, but after watching this, I would try it. This is one of my favorite episodes--it definitely ranks up there with the pancake episode. Love seeing Dan's unscripted interactions with his guests (even when it is trying to solve math!). Thank you, Dan!

[@DanielJSouza]

Thank you, Anna!

[@asigwalt6098]

17:52 Wait... What? You can wok cook on an induction cooktop? Please tell me how

[@msmaupin]

Awesome, Dan. Chili crisp will be my new go-to condiment.

[@dblcrwnd]

Amazing episdoe Dan!!! Gonna try the chili crisp ice cream tonight!

[@kryki_cha6206]

Just saw this video a few days ago. Got my hands on a jar of chili crisp and promptly lost my mind over how delicious it is. Then..... the vanilla ice cream.... 🤯♥️😭.... I'll never be the same after this. Thank you!!

[@Handle17890]

Great tutorial. Thanks so much

[@daenas]

I do call out people who say they can't eat MSG but yet use or eat food with "yeast extract"..hello...MSG! I use Laoganma on a lot of foods. I buy the ones with beans in it as well as with peanuts. The one with beans is slightly saltier than the other.

[@SSuperC]

OK that cut to get audio sync 10:54 was pretty sweet.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

It’s fascinating to see Dan’s nerdiness ending at Maths Problems 😂

[@calebkent2737]

Haha, I'm a scientist that can't talk Star Wars with my coworkers

[@maggotbitch]

He's seriously so geeky it's hott AF

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@calebkent2737 That seems both ironic and plausible 😂

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@maggotbitch I second this motion.

[@fluffigverbimmelt]

All while disregarding the chemistry problem at hand (maybe I missed it, though). I thought they wanted to control for sodium. So you would need to know the 'sodium to rest' weight ratio in MSG to find out how much salt to add after fixing the amount of MSG

[@anthonygardner400]

Absolutely fascinating video. Just love you, Dan!

[@santolify]

These two men rock my world!

[@bierbrauer11]

Kenji did a cooking demo at my company this past week and it was awesome! (Of course he was dealing with a very general audience) As much as that was awesome, this was super awesome - thanks for the details!

[@No.Handle.Please.]

This video on umami and MSG is truly fascinating! At my go-to hot pot spot, Aki Asian Hot Pot, they finish the meal with a cup of ice cream 🍦. I love dipping spoonfuls of that ice cream into my richly seasoned, beef fat layered spicy broth. It’s simply delicious! The way the melting sweetened vanilla cream swirls with the savory broth creates an incredible flavor combination. Who knew sweet and savory could blend so perfectly? If you haven't tried this yet, I highly recommend it! 🍲❤️

[@kenmore01]

I made homemade chicken soup awhile ago, and found just a small splash of soy sauce made it come alive! Not too much, you don't necessarily want to turn it into a Chinese dish (maybe you do), but just enough to change the color slightly...AWESOME!

[@emilydu4463]

Black pepper corn in your chicken soup will give it a nice color and flavor too!

[@m.theresa1385]

If often use a dash of Worcestershire sauce for the same reason .

[@danielt6689]

Fish sauce or dashi powder will also do that without changing the color.

[@eriknaparstek3277]

How can this wok be used on an induction cooktop as you mentioned? How is the round bottom stabilized on a flat cooktop?

[@penguin112493]

This is great! Kenji is obviously *the best* and the conversation between y'all was great!

[@elaineleblanc8616]

Love watching Kenji’s channel

[@whatsupdate]

Love watching Dan’s channel

[@elaineleblanc8616]

@@whatsupdate What channel is Dan’s? I may already be subscribed.

[@aggiemed]

Kenji, you mentioned that wok was used on an induction -- what kind do you use for a rounded bottom wok?

[@divinebluesky]

I believe he has an induction burner with a rounded depression in the middle. Somewhere I saw a video of him packing his book tour case and it showed the burner. You can get them online.

[@whatsupdate]

In his book “the wok” I’m pretty sure he said not to buy a round bottom wok. Period. Allegedly they were only good for legit wok burners. The quote: “Unless you have a custom insert in your range you want to avoid round-bottom or induction woks”.

[@marilynsnider8183]

Welcome back Kenje. Very interesting video.

[@philipw5669]

Wonderful video! Thank you!

[@beritbranch2436]

WOW!! what fun

[@stevereavis1720]

Hi-Great show! Can you tell us the brand of Wok Kenji is using? I know he said it was fairly new. Thanks!

[@mhaas88]

Love this video! My only critique would be the word “placebo”. Placebo describes a positive psychological effect from an inert substance. In contrast, a “nocebo” is , essentially, a placebo that one perceives to cause harm.

[@operaman12000]

Great episode; however, I've always wondered, who decides how far the line under the subject goes at the beginning of each episode? Weird question I know. But it's never the same.

[@DizzyBusy]

It's to keep you on your toes

[@KileyBlack-z9e]

Chili crisp is excellent with peppermint ice cream. Being a New Englander, Brigham's, of course.

[@ericthompson3982]

Well that was more fun than I was expecting.

[@GuyMannick]

Kenji's foodtube media tour has been awesome.

[@bluedrummajor2876]

For those of us allergic to peanuts, should we just leave them out, or should something be substituted for them to maintain the crisp?

[@kurizma]

There are chili crisps without peanuts. Leaving it out should be fine.

[@theloganator13]

Kenji says around 17:50 that he's only cooked with this wok on an induction cooktop. I trust him, but how does that make any sense? Woks are made to be ripping hot, which you can't do with induction if the wok is in the air half the time you're using it. Is he just stirring instead of using the motion of the pan to help the food evaporate moisture? Or is he just letting the pan cool off while it's in the air? Curious if anyone else has experience cooking with a wok on induction.

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

I prefer Vlasic kosher dill pickle brine. For a hangover, I would save the stuff and leave it in the fridge. Perfect hangover cure in the morning. A few swigs and good to go!

[@xnonsuchx]

Unfortunately, they changed their brine recipe when they removed dyes. At least it doesn’t taste the same to me. It tastes like you mixed old Vlasic brine with Claussen pickle brine.

[@owenkelso1]

Chili Crisp is awesome on Hummus… there are Japanese versions that use sesame oil which really take things to another level 👍

[@dirtyketchup]

Ya, not sure what Dan was thinking. The moment he said 3g of salt to 1.5 cups of broth, I knew it was at LEAST double too much. I'm surprised Kenji didn't step in after he calculated 2%, because that is crazy. I salt my pasta water to 1% salt, and even that is pretty intensely salty. How could he be so underprepared?! I'd say 1g to 1.125g would've been about perfect. Yikes.

[@No.Handle.Please.]

I was like, “A spoonful of salt!” 😮

[@u2bst1nks]

ATK's old science guy and ATK's new science guy in the same vid!?! Awesome collab.

[@birdy1numnum]

*I follow Kenji on Instagram and was surprised last week when in a discussion about what wouldn't he eat he wrote "I do not see anything wrong with eating dogs. Pigs are just as smart and emotional". I'm still thinking about that!!*

[@DizzyBusy]

Well, yes, but often people in the Americas and in Europe want to police what the rest of the world should be eating

[@2AZSUN]

Best 25 minutes of the day so far! Thanks for another fascinating ep and bringing Kenji back to ATK!

[@maxcourval2045]

Love these crossover episodes!!!

[@TwinsenDude]

Great episode as always Dan. What I want to know that no one seems to talk about is how to use the nucleotides more in cooking. Like with the Doritos, is there a powdered form of the inosinate and guanylate available for consumers that I could/should have on my counter just like my MSG that I could be adding? Or a perfect ratio they've figured out that I could mix up to have a seasoning salt with weighed out salt, MSG, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate? I would love to use something like this to be able to kick foods like fried rice up to another level of savoriness without having to add ingredients that have a lot of their own flavor like bonito flakes

[@buffster948]

I find these combos really help when cooking with bitter/ sulphurous compounds - especially veg like broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts etc. I've had so many people say 'Oh, I hate '. It's so fun to see their eyes widen in shock and awe when they try it 'my way'! :D I'm glad that the research around MSG continues to grow. It still has a bit of a stigma from that 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' article, of course. It's good that people understand that it occurs naturally in so many different foods.