420317 Wed Jul 11 19:11:20 -0700 2007 22 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2741658 Besides thai pad kee mow, are there any dishes that actually use this wonderful sauce from Switzerland? or is it simple a condiment for the home diner. if you go into a thai market, they have something called soya bean seasoning sauce. it doesn't taste like soy sauce, it tastes like Maggi Sauce. Wed Jul 11 19:11:20 -0700 2007 25925 eatdrinknbmerry 1 2741698 Isn't it usually put on bahn mi sandwiches? Wed Jul 11 19:29:39 -0700 2007 2741658 12460 Chowpatty 2 2741909 oh yeah that's right. i only had one for lunch today ha. Wed Jul 11 20:50:57 -0700 2007 2741698 25925 eatdrinknbmerry 1 2742906 I don't know how it is used, but a lot of African stores carry it. Given that they also carry a lot of British food because many African countries were British colonies, I would guess some British dishes use it. Thu Jul 12 08:42:50 -0700 2007 2741658 10264 rworange 1 2744250 For some reasons it can work really well with Chinese food. A couple of dashes can revive a listless plate of fried rice. Thu Jul 12 13:55:15 -0700 2007 2741658 24711 dty 1 2744274 We use it a lot in Mexico. People put it in a lot of stews, on pizza, and of course, the most important use is to flavor micheladas: beer with lime, chili, salt, and... MAGGI! At home we use it in our hamburger and meat loaf recipes. We also add it to cream with a bit of parmesan to make a nice and flavorful dip that goes well with chips. In comparing with other international friends, we found that Maggi, like Milo, has been absorbed into many developing countries cuisines. =) Thu Jul 12 14:02:49 -0700 2007 2741658 98600 mirilara 2 2744616 oh no wonder! i was once eating pozole stew and i said to my gf... "there has got to be maggi in here." she's like "no way." Thu Jul 12 15:50:15 -0700 2007 2744274 25925 eatdrinknbmerry 1 2746847 What is Maggi? Fri Jul 13 10:42:06 -0700 2007 2741658 76226 Oh Robin 2 2756342 Maggi is MSG. It is used in a lot of Senegalese dishes. For instance, chicken yassa, mafe, and thieboudienne all typically include a hearty dash of Maggi (which is available in liquid or cubes). It makes a big difference in flavor, though I'll admit to being a bit leary of the possible health impact of the stuff. Tue Jul 17 00:50:41 -0700 2007 2746847 108675 eastvillgirl 1 2757087 I was surprised when I started seeing it in Asian stores. I grew up in a German family and I remember bringing it back from Germany back in the day. I can't remember exactly what we used it for - I think my mom put a few dashes in potato salad. Tue Jul 17 08:47:51 -0700 2007 2741658 26542 suse 1 2757305 Maggi's introduction in Vietnam is widely believed to have taken place during the French colonial era and it's often considered indispensible in the preparation of the Franco-Viet beefsteak innovations, bo luc lac (shaking beef) and bo bit tet (grilled beefsteak). Similarly, Maggi frequently makes an appearance in all manner of banh mi (Franco-Viet baguette sandwiches) and European-style noodle dishes. At any rate, many Vietnamese (and Thai) people that I know here in the US consider Maggi Sauce to be a "luxury" ingredient and relish the relatively cheap price that they pay for it here. Such is/was not the case back home. Personally, I love the stuff, and its one of the only condiments that I can't live without. Drizzled on a bowl of hot steamed rice and fried eggs, oh, man. E.M. Tue Jul 17 09:30:32 -0700 2007 2741658 11340 Erik M 2 2757548 hey erikM! how's it going? i cannot live w/o maggi as well. my favorite comfort food is fried eggs with a few dashes of Maggi and Sriracha hot sauce. Tue Jul 17 10:26:29 -0700 2007 2757305 25925 eatdrinknbmerry 3 2758162 I'm jiggy, D. You know, here in Chicago, there are very few Asian/SEA restaurants which actually furnish Maggi as a table condiment. Funny enough, it's only really common in Eastern European restaurants, and, even so, only in knock-off form. Like, Przyprawy from Winiary, for example: http://www.thetasteofpoland.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=306 Anyway, what do you think about the Calamansi lime-flavoured Maggi? I like that stuff too, even though it tastes fake-as-hell. LOL! http://www.amazon.com/MAGGI-SEASONING-CALAMANSI-130mL/dp/B0001Z9F2I E.M. Tue Jul 17 12:41:47 -0700 2007 2757548 11340 Erik M 1 2758136 In Oaxaca, it is used in sangrita,(or at least in some versions) a drink made w/tomato juice, lime & orange juices, sparkling water, hot sauce used as a chaser after a shot of tequila Tue Jul 17 12:36:32 -0700 2007 2741658 19185 budlit 1 2758302 My sister and I both have a running argument over the finer points about non-soy soya sauce. My favorite brand is called Golden Mountain. Same general taste as Maggi, but "brighter" (the only way that I can describe their differences). Also, there are a lot of different kinds of Maggi that you'll see in stores. One I think is European, and the ones that you'll see in the "oriental" (hahaha) sections of Ralph's and Von's isn't of the same calibre. Maybe they're from different sources, maybe they're different recipes. Also probably important to note is that when you're buying these sauces, it's best to buy in the SMALLEST BOTTLE POSSIBLE! once this sauce starts getting exposed to air, the degradation of flavor begins. Best way to do a taste comparison is probably on rice. Or eggs and rice, like Erik M. noted below. Tue Jul 17 13:09:54 -0700 2007 2741658 80960 ysb 2 2758438 Yeah, Golden Mountain is *very* popular, especially for use in the Thai and Vietnamese home/restaurant kitchens in America where the price diference is a significant issue. Anyway, are you comparing Golden Mountain with its Asian-made Maggi counterparts or with the original Swiss formula from Europe? From what I understand, just like Golden Mountain, the Asian Maggi products contain MSG and artificial flavourings whereas the original EuroMaggi does not. http://asiafood.org/glossary_1.cfm?alpha=G&wordid=2668&startno=1&endno=25 BTW, it's important to note that you will often find both types of Maggi sauce on the shelves at Asian ethnic grocers in America, and, to me, the difference is noticeable. Regards, E.M. Tue Jul 17 13:41:17 -0700 2007 2758302 11340 Erik M 3 2758786 It's getting tough to find the European Maggi. Even in the German pork store (Karl Ehmer's) all the Maggi is the product from China/Asia. And yes it is a completely different taste from the European variety. Tue Jul 17 14:59:37 -0700 2007 2758438 15128 RichK 3 2758858 Well, when I'm in the states I just buy the small (~150mL) bottles of Golden Mountain because it looks the same as the ones in the supermarts in Thailand. I never buy Maggi here because I can't tell any of them apart label-wise. too much variation compared to trusty GM. The one-liter bottles of Golden Mountain have a completely different label. It has a green cap rather than the familiar red and yellow. And when you say that Asian Maggi has MSG, you mean *added* MSG, right? have you seen this blogpost? (I had virtually the same response on there as "v" I love to jump into any conversation regarding soya sauces!) http://guiltycarnivore.com/2007/02/24/a-note-on-maggi/ Tue Jul 17 15:27:39 -0700 2007 2758438 80960 ysb 4 2759065 "And when you say that Asian Maggi has MSG, you mean *added* MSG, right?" Technically, yes, I do mean that because it is clearly indicated on the label. And, its not that I am MSG-phobic by any means, but with some of these soya-based sauces the MSG-derived "brightness" you describe is far too harsh for my tastes. In that way, it reminds me of the Mexican bouillon/seasoning agents which are used in such abundance here in America, like Goya's Sazon. Anyway, thanks for the link! E.M. Tue Jul 17 16:45:04 -0700 2007 2758858 11340 Erik M 1 2764532 Just a brief note... I've made many different versions of pad kee mow, which is one of my all time favourite Thai dishes, and I've never seen one call for Maggi sauce (which is essentially MSG). Thai people generally seem to be very MSG conscious and avoid it at all costs. The cookbooks I used to rely on when I was a Thai cooking newbie all strongly suggest reading labels carefully, especially on ingredients like oyster sauce, to make sure that there is no MSG. Thu Jul 19 10:02:35 -0700 2007 2741658 75881 vorpal 2 2765356 "Just a brief note... I've made many different versions of pad kee mow, which is one of my all time favourite Thai dishes, and I've never seen one call for Maggi sauce (which is essentially MSG)." I certainly wouldn't use Maggi to make kuaytiaw phat khii mao either, but you must recognize that eatdrinknbmerry likes to be a little "different." LOL!! "Thai people generally seem to be very MSG conscious and avoid it at all costs." Where do you live? I have intimate knowledge of *several* Thai home and restaurant kitchens here in Chicago--even cooking/working for periods of time in a few of them--and I can tell you that *every* single one of them uses MSG outright, i.e., powder form, or uses a number of products which contain MSG. Will they admit to it if asked? No, not usually. They are acutely aware of how such info. might hurt their bottom line. E.M. Thu Jul 19 13:03:55 -0700 2007 2764532 11340 Erik M 2 2766523 That's wierd. When I visited Thailand and was staying in a small guesthouse on an island not particularly popular with tourists, when I asked the owner whether or not Thai cuisine involved msg, he responded: "my wife is a good cook, but she'd be lost without msg". Thu Jul 19 19:20:30 -0700 2007 2764532 26542 suse 1 2765374 I grew up putting it in my chicken noodle soup. It's only recently that I realized that Maggi wasn't actually/only(?) Eastern European. It was always around in my house. Thu Jul 19 13:08:00 -0700 2007 2741658 78370 littlegreenpea