Maggi Seasoning

[Suzanne F]

Some of us would think Maggi Seasoning is "the Devil's Head Oil." (did I get that right, Jinmyo?) Others believe it is indispensible in "authentic" abuela-style Mexican cooking (isn't that what you said, fifi?).

Which side are you on,

Which side are you on,

Which side are you on, tell me

Which side are you on?

(with deepest apologies to the gallant warriors of the union movement)

Edited August 29, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[torakris]

never had it.

so I can't comment.

Ok leaving the thread now..........

[tommy]

everything i've read says that maggi is made in thailand, and contains the following:

water, hydrolyzed corn gluten and soy protein, salt, artificial flavor.

yummy.

[fifi]

Good Lord! What did I start?

[fresco]

everything i've read says that maggi is made in thailand, and contains the following:

water, hydrolyzed corn gluten and soy protein, salt, artificial flavor.

yummy.

It's a Nestle product--isn't it made all over the world, pretty much? But think it may have been invented in Switzerland.

[fifi]

OK... Fact time...

My current bottle of Maggi was procured at Hong Kong Market in Houston. The label has Chinese as well as English. The label states...

Water, Hydrolysed peanut and corn protein, salt,

Distributed by Nestle USA Inc. - Foreign Trade Division, Glendale Ca.

Product of Switzerland

edit: I see I cross posted with fresco.

Edited August 29, 2003 by fifi (log)

[Fat Guy]

http://www.maggiworld.com/seasoning.asp

[fifi]

Others believe it is indispensible in "authentic" abuela-style Mexican cooking (isn't that what you said, fifi?).

In small cafes all over Mexico, it is a common condiment on the table. Sort of like Tabasco or ketchup here. It is also in every kitchen I have been in.

edit to add: Jaymes! Where are you?

Edited August 29, 2003 by fifi (log)

[tejon]

I've only had it in one dish - my dad's pot roast, which contains almost every seasoning in his cupboard (the gravy does, at least). Haute cuisine, no, but incredibly good. So count me in on the thumbs up side.

[jackal10]

Isn't it just a way of adding MSG and some salt?

[Human Bean]

[Jinmyo] Gah. [/Jinmyo]

Swiss imitation soy sauce.

No thanks.

[Jinmyo]

Gah.

The Devil's Head Oil. Squeegeed off his comb.

[fifi]

OK... Got up, rinsed my mouth, no toothpaste yet, no coffee, and tasted Maggi straight. (What I do for science!)

hmmm... Kinda sorta like a really good soy sauce. Not as salty. Not as intense. More mellow. A little more vegetal. Definitely an umami taste.

(Funny thing... I kept tasting it, again, and again, and again... oh, just another drop...)

[fendel]

I grew up adding Maggi to lentil soup (I'm three-quarters German, maybe that's a factor here).

Eventually I realized that if I add Maggi to lentil soup, the soup mostly tastes like Maggi, but weakly enough that I needed to just keep adding more Maggi. These days I don't bother with it.

[tjaehnigen]

I haven't had the stuff in years, but, as a kid I thought it was great.

In lentil soup, my mother always had us eat it with a little vinegar mixed into each serving -- maybe 1/2 a tsp to a tsp for a large bowl. mmmm

[tommy]

everything i've read says that maggi is made in thailand, and contains the following:

water, hydrolyzed corn gluten and soy protein, salt, artificial flavor.

yummy.

It's a Nestle product--isn't it made all over the world, pretty much? But think it may have been invented in Switzerland.

and it seems like the ingredients differ depending on where it's made.

who could possibly need a product like this? it's bad enough that kikomman has difference soys that look the same, but this just seems disgusting.

[Schielke]

Never had it, but I see it all the time in German groceries.

[SobaAddict70]

as long as no roast chickens are involved, I'm on whatever side happens to be winning at the moment.

Soba

[fifi]

My current bottle of Maggi was procured at Hong Kong Market in Houston. The label has Chinese as well as English. The label states...

Water, Hydrolysed peanut and corn protein, salt,

Distributed by Nestle USA Inc. - Foreign Trade Division, Glendale Ca.

Product of Switzerland 

I found another bottle... This one has the label in Spanish and English.

Water, hydrolyzed corn gluten (=corn protein), soy protein, caramel color, artificial flavor

Hecho in Mexico, Distributed by Nestle, blah blah blah, under agreement with trademark owners

The Mexican Maggi is indeed quite a bit darker in color than the Swiss product. I put drops side by side on a white plate. I didn't need to get that picky. The difference is obvious. As to taste difference... not much. If blindfolded I probably would have a hard time telling the difference. The Mexican version did taste a tiny bit "browner" but that may have been visual contamination.

Why is everyone going YUK? This stuff is a LOT like soy sauce.

Edited August 29, 2003 by fifi (log)

[sandra]

The UK version of Maggi: Wheat gluten sauce 65%, salt 10%, disodium5-inosinate and disodium 5-guanylate - no MSG and preservative added.

Looks like it's made in Switzerland, the UK label is covering that info

I put it into soups and stews as they are cooking or sprinkle it on steaks before cooking - they even have Maggi cubes over here -

In Mexico it's used all over, even put it into guacamole sometimes...

I'm with the "really like it" camp!

[Suzanne F]

as long as no roast chickens are involved, I'm on whatever side happens to be winning at the moment. 

Soba

To let people in on the joke: a non-cooking former member here decided to try to roast a chicken. It was a most exciting event, with many of us glued to our computers all night as she posted about her progress. The one really big mistake she made was to coat the poor bird with Maggi -- so then she wondered why it didn't taste very good.

[Dave the Cook]

Suzanne is being modest -- it was her idea, and one of the most entertaining evenings I've had in a long time. The thread is here.

I just reread it. I had forgotten that after the chicken she tried her hand at poussin!

Some highlights:

While I have assisted in the making of a Thanksgiving turkey at another person's home, my own oven has never been utilized.

I will forget about the ADNY white truffle menu I was contemplating for this Saturday, and cook the chicken beginning at 6.

Maybe I could stuff some unborn eggs into the chicken, and forgo the Meyer Lemons I had originally intended.

An inspection of the quantity remaining in the newly opened box of salt suggests I far exceeded the quantity you suggested.

We'll have the NYC Fire Department standing by.

The poussin feels repulsive in a way that I have never experienced for food ingested before.

[Jinmyo]

Why is everyone going YUK? This stuff is a LOT like soy sauce.

Sorry, dear, but no it is not.

Shoyu (soy sauce) is made from fermented soybeans, wheat and salt. '

There are some bad kinds of artificially manufactured soy sauces based on hydrolyzed soy protein.

Maggi might be like those.

But then it's The Devil's Head Oil.

There's a thread on shoyu here you might find interesting.

[fifi]

OK... A parallel...

There is the 50 year old balsamic vinegar and then there is the Colavita that you buy at the grocery.

Likewise, there is the REALLY good stuff (yes, I have some) that is made in small batches by true artisans (in a hollow tree for all I know). Then there is the Kikkoman that you buy at the grocery. For all practical purposes, it is the Kikkoman that gets used the most in most kitchens and we still call it "soy sauce".

Maggi is like the grocery store Kikkoman and quite similar in taste.

[tommy]

maggi is like salty brown colored water. not much unlike some soy sauce. agreed.

kikkoman isn't all *that* bad though, is it? the stuff from japan is much better than the stuff from WI, imo.