Some people go through life without ever knowing about monosodium glutamate.
Others spend much of their lives trying to get away from it. Ajinomoto has since become synonymous with MSG throughout Asia, and remains the world's largest producer. MSG is sold in liquid and granulated form in grocery stores, and is widely used as a food additive. It's not fully understood how it works to enhance the taste of food. Western science believes that it stimulates the taste buds, while having no distinct taste of its own.