Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate is the purest form of the taste on this list, and its reputation lags well behind the evidence. It is made today by fermenting starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses; the FDA classifies it as generally recognized as safe; and in trials with people who believe they react to it, scientists have not been able to consistently trigger reactions. Use it as salt's helper: a pinch in a vinaigrette, egg salad, soup, popcorn or tomato sauce rounds everything out. It carries about a third of the sodium of table salt, so swapping part of the salt for it trims sodium without losing savor. Start small, since a little goes a long way.