What is Ajinomoto?
Pune has always had its share of excellent Indian-Chinese restaurants. The Chinese Room in Camp was one of my favourites. There were a couple of other good places close to home, Peking Chinese close to Symbiosis College, which closed sometime in late 90s. I remember going there as a kid, and learning about Chinese astrology and the year of the pig and so on. It is always so much fun to learn about another culture and their cuisine. (The Chinese we have in India, though seems to be our own concoction. My Chinese co-workers have never heard of Manchurian Chicken.) My parents tell me that Mainland China is pretty good too.
I've always loved sweet-corn chicken soup, and chicken manchurian... Top it off with chinese fried rice, or Lo Mein or Chop Suey and you have a perfect meal. Thankfully for me, some enterprising folks in the Bay Area have started an Indian Chinese place in Mountain View called Temptations. I love this place. Finally some food that is comparable to restaurants in Pune and the decor is great too. If you live in the area do check out this site http://www.temptationsca.com
My father almost never cooked. The only time I remember him helping out with cooking was when we were making Chinese at home. Armed with a book of recipes, donning an apron, my father instructed me on how to chop spring onions, grate carrots,(while cutting some vegetables himself) leaving the work requiring more skill for my mom. My father's favourite Manchow Soup and Vegetable Manchurian were the usual edibles on the menu. Most of the recipes called on using Soy Sauce, Chilli Sauce and a dash of Ajinomoto or MSG (my dad used to call it Ajnimoto). Only later was MSG banned from our house after reports in the newspapers that it caused some sort of brain damage. Given the competitive environment we have in India, clearly no child soon to enter class 10th/12th should have any MSG. Dealing with brain damage on top of the congenital brain damage was impossible. Somehow though the fervor behind cooking Chinese also died at our home around the same point. My dad took a reclusive posture towards cooking as usual, and my overworked mom continued doing all the house-hold chores. Today there was an article in the Times about MSG, and how there is still no conclusive evidence about it's evil effects. I used to think Ajinomoto was the Chinese name for MSG, but Wikipedia points out that it is the Japanese corporation which discovered the chemical in 1909. It's flagship product is MSG of course.
