Cheat day

My House

Tuesday.

While I was hosting the broadcast, a chat message came up saying the taste of the ramen had changed.

└It’s really too bland.

└Yeah, the taste has definitely gotten a bit worse.

I really used to like ramen, but it seems like it’s been a while since I last had it.

└Is that so? I don’t know.

└These days, instant noodles just taste bland overall.

I actually saw somewhere that the components have changed.

Isn’t it because you took out the MSG?

“Really?” “Why are you taking out the MSG?”

MSG is the only drug permitted by the government.

I’m curious why they removed that wonderful seasoning that enhances the umami and flavor of any dish.

I heard that they removed it because they said the MSG was bad.

Really? Um. I’ll look into this a bit. It seems like we could make this the main topic and talk about it for a whole day.

I was curious too, so I thought I’d look into it and made it the topic for the next broadcast.

I greeted the viewers, ended the broadcast, and then stretched.

8 PM.

I finished the broadcast a little earlier than usual, so I have some extra time. It seems like I can look up information about MSG.

As I stepped out of the room, the back of Mukji came into view.

“PD, we’re going to cover MSG in the next broadcast.”

Tang-

Mugunji took out the stack of documents and placed them on the desk. I was startled by the loud noise.

“This is the information you need to check today.”

Um……. Thank you.

I approached and gathered the documents.

I glanced at his face, but he didn’t even care and was just looking at the monitor. I was wondering what you were looking at so closely, and it turns out you’re reading an article about MSG.

It seems they were looking for it in advance while monitoring the broadcast.

“I’ll take care of this.” I thought asking Ji-seung hyung might be a good idea since he seems to know well.

“…….”

There was no response, and then I started typing on the keyboard, wondering if it was always this loud.

“PD-nim?” “Um, would you like to leave work early today?”

“There is no reason for that.”

“Why are there days like that?” “There’s no particular reason, but it’s just one of those days.”

The aged kimchi saw me for the first time today.

“Do you really think there is no reason?”

The old kimchi stood up.

I found out yesterday that Mukji thought we were dating all this time.

At first, I was flustered, but then I was happy to realize that I wasn’t the only one with these feelings, and I understood that Jujiseung’s words weren’t said in vain.

“How can you deceive for a whole month?” Do you even know how I’ve been all this time? 저만. Just me.

Mukji couldn’t bring himself to speak and glared at me with his mouth tightly closed.

“I keep wanting to see you and just be with you a little longer.” I think they just wanted to start a conversation for no reason.

Mugunji frowned.

“I felt the same way.”

I approached slowly.

Since they didn’t refuse, I cautiously hugged them.

“I should have spoken up sooner.”

Mukji twisted his body, but he couldn’t push on the day he lifted 80 kg on the bench press.

“I want to see you more often, stay longer, and talk more since it’s been so long.” Isn’t it okay?

The old kimchi gave up trying to peel off and quietly wrapped around my waist.

“Thank you.”

“It’s so petty.”

“I just know what’s more important.”

“…….”

“Shall we tidy up and go for a drive?”

The aged kimchi nodded.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

The next day.

I left the house with the aged kimchi.

“Are you saying we should go to Hongdangmu Entertainment?”

Yes. I have an appointment with Representative Hong Seong-il.

It’s about Byo Seung-jae, whom I was introduced to last time.

I didn’t contact you because I felt uneasy about it, but I told Muk-ji to convey my intentions to Hong Seong-il.

Ah. “Then let’s meet together.”

“No.” Leave this task to me, and you can prepare for today’s broadcast.

“……Me.”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

“That’s not it, it’s the title.”

“Ah.”

I also couldn’t continue the conversation any longer.

I think it’s strange to call each other “Director” and “PD,” but you wouldn’t know unless you’ve been in a relationship.

I didn’t know how to address them.

“Please go ahead, CEO.”

“Uh.”

The first term of endearment that came to mind was “darling,” but seeing the aged kimchi, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Please let PD speak first.”

“I don’t like it.” Shouldn’t the latecomer at least try to catch up a bit?

“That’s right.”

I kept gripping and releasing the steering wheel, then swallowed.

“……Eunji.”

My face is burning up.

I turned my head to the left out of embarrassment, but there was no reaction, so I turned it to the right again, and Mukjeong was squinting at me.

“Uh? Not really?

“It’s different from what I expected.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“I don’t want to tell you.”

My mind is blank.

I don’t want to disappoint you, so I want to come up with a good nickname somehow, but none of the information stored in my brain for 35 years is helping.

“Still, just calling my name and feeling embarrassed was quite something.”

“Yes?”

“Please depart.” I’m late.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

I took the aged kimchi to Hongdangmu Entertainment and returned to the office.

I was drinking coffee and researching MSG, but it seems like a verification process is necessary.

It’s more accurate to have an expert verify such matters.

I called Joo Ji-seung.

-Oh. Chanyong.

“Hey, aren’t you busy?”

-It’s okay. I’m eating and resting.

I’m studying MSG right now, and I thought you might know a lot about it. “Are you okay?”

-MSG?

Okay. I looked it up, and it turns out the bad image of MSG started in the U.S., right?

In 1968, the term “Chinese restaurant syndrome” was coined in the United States.

L-glutamate sodium, or MSG, was a term coined by a doctor who claimed that consuming large amounts of it causes nausea and headaches, particularly in Chinese restaurants.

-Right. But it’s a bit ambiguous.

“Yeah.”

If MSG itself were the problem, then not just Chinese food but most foods would be an issue. Because it is abundant in meat, fish, kelp, eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

“Yeah.”

When you think of food with a lot of tomatoes and mushrooms added to the meat, what comes to mind?

“……pizza.” Pasta?

-Right. Pizza and pasta also contain a lot of MSG, just like Chinese food. So it’s delicious.

“But why specifically the Chinese restaurant syndrome?”

-There are also claims that there might have been racism against Asians.

Um. What was the basis for that?

-At that time, the research was a bit crude. I’ve heard. This is just something I heard, so it hasn’t been fact-checked.

“Yeah.”

I injected MSG into the rat’s eye with a syringe, and it went blind. What kind of experimental results are these?

Eh? Isn’t it wrong to inject something into the eye? Even if it’s not MSG.

-That’s what I’m saying. But the funny thing is, those flawed research results were reflected, leading the FDA to impose consumption restrictions on MSG.

“The FDA was a mess.”1)

-That’s right.

“So, the misinformation from the 60s in the U.S. is affecting us even now?”

-Our country is a bit different. Ah, this is a bit complicated.

Jujiseung hesitated for a moment before continuing the conversation.

In 1993, a company called Lucky sold a seasoning called Matgreen, but at that time, Dashida and Miwon already had a firm grip on the market, right?

“Yeah.”

-From Matgreen’s perspective, they promoted that Dashida and Miwon contain the controversial MSG to secure market share.

It’s aggressive marketing.

I learned about it while editing a channel that dealt with marketing-related information in the past; it’s a flanking attack strategy that involves providing unfavorable information to market leaders or targeting unmet needs.

They put forward the phrase “No more MSG, the chemical seasoning,” but the term “chemical seasoning” was taken very negatively.

“That makes sense.” I found out while looking for it too, but in the end, they couldn’t prove the harmfulness of MSG, right?

-Oh. So, I received a corrective order. But those results aren’t well known. I just remember the perception that chemical seasonings are bad, and MSG is bad.

“Um.”

-Then, with the wellness boom, the aversion to MSG emerged. Actually, it’s incorrect information, but they just believe it without checking. I saw it in an ad before.

“Right.” Right.

By the way, do you know about the “Food X-Files”?

“I know.” While searching for MSG, I found it.

-That was really popular. But since they demonize MSG there too, it’s inevitable that the perception will stick.

Even though the impact of TV media is not as strong as it used to be, TV programs still have an enormous influence.

Let alone 10 years ago, it goes without saying.

-It’s frustrating because glutamic acid isn’t different; it’s a component of proteins. It can’t be missing from the food.

Yes. They say it’s even in breast milk, right?

-That’s right. The most abundant component in breast milk is glutamic acid. Because it’s 50%. Even babies who were breastfed and don’t drink milk well are recognizing glutamate and choosing the breast milk that is suitable for them.

“The fact that MSG is not harmful is something that the FDA has also announced.”

-But the problem is that they still don’t believe it. Actually, if you add a little MSG, the taste improves right away, so you end up using less salt, right? Sodium intake is also reduced.

“Yeah.”

-Where was it again? International Amino Acid Science Research Association. There is such a place.

Yes. There is.

I searched and found a research group called ICAAS.

-There, it was revealed that MSG actually has a protective function for the gastric mucosa. Since so much research has already been done, scholars say there’s no need for further study now.

But if you still doubt, there’s nothing I can do about it.

People believe what they want to believe.

“Is that why ramen companies are removing MSG?”

-Right. I don’t understand how you don’t know how smart the ramen company’s researchers are. However, since we can’t change the customers’ minds, we’ll try changing things this way and that. This is my guess.

“I think so too.” They’re all master’s and doctoral students, right?

-Right. And the reason the ramen taste has changed might not be solely because of MSG.

“What does that mean?”

-I told you earlier. MSG cannot be omitted from food. MSG and Dashida are just things you add more of.

“Yeah.”

If that’s the case, the company is probably trying to use MSG in natural foods because people are sensitive to the term “chemical seasoning.” So, it means that the MSG content might vary a bit, but it’s not completely absent.

“The taste can vary depending on the content.” What else is there?

-Right. For example, even if the apples are the same variety, the taste can be different from this year to next year.

“Really?” How much it rained. It would depend on how high the sun is.

-Okay. Wheat, carrots, green onions, ramen—everything that goes into them is like that. So, even if the recipe is the same every year, the taste inevitably varies. Whether or not we catch that is another matter.

“Wow.”

Moreover, the recipe is changing too. It’s not just one problem.

Wow. Bro, this is seriously amazing. Thank you so much.

It seems that a single video could be made just from the 20-minute conversation with Joo Ji-seung.

-Compared to you coming to Bucheon every Saturday.

“Is that so?”

I laughed out loud once.

“Hey, can I post the call content when I upload the video?”

-Yeah. Lift it up. Lift it up. Hey, what happened to you?

“What?”

-Mook PD.

Ah. Uh……. I’ll talk to you later.

-Oh, this guy is really expensive.

Uh . A bit expensive. Heheh.

-Yeah, dude. I can tell just by hearing your voice. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you!

-Oh. Go in.