A food vendor in Thailand’s northeast says there’s nothing unusual about cooking with half a sack of MSG in after a video of her pouring, pouring, pouring the stuff into a giant mortar went viral.

Sumtam vendor Tanyaporn Natawat, 42, shows reporters the bag of MSG she uses in Amnat Charoen province. Screenshot: Sanook
Tanyaporn Natawat, 42, told reporters she’s not worried about the criticism she’s been receiving over a clip of her casually flooding the somtam, or papaya salad, with an avalanche of MSG, after all, it’s been a family recipe for decades.
“I don’t put the entire bag in, don’t be shocked!… I only put half a bag,” she explained to reporters in an Isaan dialect, chuckling.
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Tanyaporn said it is the “right balance” of MSG when making such a large amount. She said her unknown videographer only filmed her pouring the MSG, or pong chu rod, which made the process look worse than it is.
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So what do you think lovely readers? Would you eat Tanyaporn’s somtam?