MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, which is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a common amino acid. It is a flavor-enhancing food additive used in Asian cooking, fast foods, and commercially packaged food products. MSG is used to enhance flavors in many savory dishes, and it works well in dishes such as braised meats, tomato sauce, soup, eggs, and vegetables. MSG is a man-made sodium invented by the Japanese to emulate the flavor of seaweed, which is naturally savory and rich in salt flavor. MSG was originally made popular as Chinese immigrants opened restaurants in the United States and began to tweak their dishes to please American palates.

In Simplified Chinese, MSG is translated as 谷氨酸单钠盐, 味精 (monosodium glutamine的缩写).