Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a messagePrint + Digital Publications
Asian Tofu
Pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks
Asian Market Shopper
mobile app is here!
Available at iTunes store
Asian Dumplings
Info on e-book w/ videos!
Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks
Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooksRecent PostsGluten-Free Bun Trilogy: Dough, Baked Buns, Steamed BunsGluten-Free Baked Buns (Bao) RecipeGluten-Free Steamed Bun (Bao) Recipe2011 Cookbooks Pushing the Asian Envelope: Indochine, Bill’s Everyday Asian, Tender, PlentyMaggi Seasoning Sauce Substitutes: Mainstream, Gluten-Free, and MSG-Free OptionsInstant Pho Fixes? A tasting of Trader Joe’s, Pacific Foods and Happy PhoTamarind Glazed Lamb Ribs RecipeNovember 2011 Finds: Chinese Food Week, Online Asian Markets, Art & HumorApple Tart Tatin with Banh Mi (Bread) RecipeDeep-Fried Apple Spring Rolls RecipeAwards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook
IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook
National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009
Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks
CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide
« Instant Pho Fixes? A tasting of Trader Joe’s, Pacific Foods and Happy Pho |Main| 2011 Cookbooks Pushing the Asian Envelope: Indochine, Bill’s Everyday Asian, Tender, Plenty »
December 05, 2011Maggi Seasoning Sauce Substitutes: Mainstream, Gluten-Free, and MSG-Free Options
Maggi Seasoning Sauce has been a staple in many Asian kitchens for a long time. I grew up sprinkling the inky liquid on rice and dipping steamed bao into a pool of it. It’s the ‘secret’ ingredient in my garlic noodles. But the beloved condiment can be hard to locate outside of Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets. A few mainstream supermarkets stock it in the international or Asian food aisle.
Frustrated with not being able to find Maggi, Edie M. emailed this question: What are good substitutes for Maggi Seasoning Sauce?
I thought about it and realized that aside from availability issues, some people may have problems with Maggi’s ingredients: wheat, and in the case of the European version (in the fanciful smaller bottle), MSG. So Edie’s question morphed into one about accessibility and allergies: What to do if you can’t find or physically tolerate Maggi Seasoning Sauce?
Here are some alternatives to consider:
If you shop at an Asian market, scan the condiment aisle carefully. Look for knock-offs, which may be sold in long-neck bottles similar to Maggi’s with names that include the word ‘seasoning’. I recently bought Knorr Liquid Seasoning (pictured above), which was made in the Philippines. Lighter in flavor than the Chinese version of Maggi Seasoning Sauce in the big bottle, it is a little sweeter than the European version of Maggi. Knorr features soy but it does contains MSG. For a non-MSG version made with soy, try Gold Mountain Seasoning Sauce, a Thai product.
If you don’t shop at an Asian market, head to a health food or specialty grocer. Locate Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, usually kept near the soy sauces. It is soy based and devoid of MSG. A favorite of natural foods lovers, Bragg’s has been around since 1912 (100 years!). The liquid aminos contains only “vegetable protein from soybeans and purified water.” Its earthy, savory flavor is practically the same as that of the Chinese version of Maggi Seasoning Sauce.
However, Bragg’s liquid aminos is a little less salty than Maggi so I end up using more Bragg’s. Price-wise, the 16-ounce bottle above was about $4.50 at Whole Foods. Bragg’s brags about being a soy sauce substitute but it doesn’t taste like your average soy sauce. It tastes like Maggi Seasoning Sauce. Warning: I once bought Bragg’s from a bulk foods dispenser and it was not as intensely flavored as the liquid aminos in the bottle. My market may have diluted it but to play it safe, stick to the bottled stuff.
Use tip: Whichever substitute you choose, do a little math when using it. Look at the sodium content on the label:
Chinese Maggi Seasoning Sauce has 400 mg per teaspoon. European Maggi Seasoning Sauce has 480 mg per teaspoon.Bragg’s Liquid Aminos has 160 mg per 1/2 teaspoon. Knorr Liquid Seasoning has 1230 mg per tablespoon.Given that there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, you can quickly guess how the sub will be fare against Maggi, the benchmark. For example, based on sodium content, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is 20% less salty than the Chinese Maggi Seasoning Sauce. That explains why I end up using a bit more of the Bragg’s than I do of Maggi in my recipes. (Note: These products, including Maggi, are all sold on Amazon but shipping rates can make them expensive.)
Edie also asked this question: Can you make an ad-hoc version of Maggi? Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that one, but these subs are solid workarounds.
Familiar with these condiments? Have a Maggi substitute to recommend? Please share!
Tolerance Test: Are Gluten-Free Ingredients for You?Understanding MSG, Fake MSG and Umami: The Good, Bad and TastyMSG Salt and Mushroom Seasoning: Instant Flavor Fixes?Posted in Asian Ingredients, Cooking Tips & Tools | Permalink | | Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
I love Maggie Seasoning, I love it with an over medium egg with lots of white pepper. I from Vancouver, BC and when I was living in Amsterdam my German friend saw it in my kitchen and made fun of me 'cause Maggie has Swiss/German origins from the 1800's! He told me nobody in Germany uses Maggie anymore but he saw it all over Asia when he was there. He thinks it's weird lol... I eventually made it to the Maggie store in Germany and loved it!
Posted by:Lenny |December 06, 2011 at 12:05 AM
Thanks for the tip...I have been using Coconut Aminos too as a substituent!
Posted by:Tessa Domestic Diva |December 06, 2011 at 06:44 AM
I love Maggi seasoning. I always go with the one made in Germany. A good substitute is a seasoning sauce called Youndoo (liquid seasoning - light ) made by a Korean company. It is distributed by Sempio Foods company. Korean markets carry this brand.
The seasoning comes in a small greenish bottle with a picture of green leaf in the front.
I've used the sauce to mix in the fried rice and the depth of flavor is very close to Maggi.
Posted by:anh |December 06, 2011 at 06:49 AMLenny: There's a Maggi store in Germany? I'm putting it on my list! Thanks.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 06, 2011 at 09:20 AMTess: Who would imagine aminos coming from coconut? I'll look for that product. Where do you buy it?
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 06, 2011 at 09:21 AMAnh: Siempo is a good Korean sauce company. I use their gochujang. Didn't know they made Maggi-like sauce. Now I've got something to hunt down next time I'm at a Korean market. :0
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 06, 2011 at 09:22 AM
Andrea, I use their gochujang a lot. In fact, I am currently on a "Korean cooking phase". We have Korean foods 2, 3 times a week. My dear husband would ask me when we are going back to regular Viet's foods. ;) One day soon.
Posted by:anh |December 06, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Thanks, I'm Celiac and I was looking for some Gluten free sauces. Looking into buying the Maggi Seasoning today.
Posted by:Amy Ng - Cake Pops |December 06, 2011 at 10:22 AMAnh: Koreans love pho, why shouldn't we love their food too?!
Amy: The Bragg's is a good option for you.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 06, 2011 at 01:43 PMI love the taste of Knorr liquid seasoning! Just perfect!
Posted by:Brochure Printing |December 06, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Wow, I didn't know there were so many choices besides the small Maggi sauce. I've seen big bottles of Maggi sauce in Chinese groceries here in Korea and I always wondered why they tasted different from the ones I brought from the States...I've had steamed fish in maggi sauce (instead of the traditional soy sauce) and it was actually quite tasty.
Posted by:Yun Ho Rhee |December 07, 2011 at 06:54 AMI bought the small Maggi bottle because it would fit in my small pantry. I had no idea it was different from the big bottle!
Posted by:Diane |December 07, 2011 at 08:34 AMYun Ho and Diane: You have to look to see if the Maggi is made in Europe. The shape of the Euro version has a little extra Old World elegance and color on the label. It comes in small and large bottles. I mostly use a small Euro one for eating at the table. The larger, bolder tasting Chinese version is good at the table too, though I use it in cooking more since it is less expensive.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |December 07, 2011 at 01:36 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Best Asian Food Blogs\Viet World Kitchen\spinner.gif)
Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Your Information
(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)
Name is required to post a comment
Please enter a valid email address
Invalid URL
Be Connected
Get news via RSS or email 
Get updates in Facebook
Follow me on TwitterSearch VWK EventsAsian Tofu Book Talk
Tues, 3/6/2012, 7:30pm
A little tofu tasting too!
Bookshop Santa Cruz, CA
Asian Tofu Workshop
Tues, 3/13/2012, 6:30-9pm
Demo class w/ participation
Draeger’s San Mateo, CA
Asian Tofu Workshop
Sun, 4/1/2012, 6pm-10pm
Hands-on class
Inst. of Culinary Ed, NY
(registration yet to open)
Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Tues, 4/10/2012, 6:30-9pm
Demo class w/ participation
Draeger’s San Mateo, CA
More in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours! Become a Fan ( function() { var container = document.getElementById( 'facebook-like-container' ); if ( container ) { var e = document.createElement( 'fb:like-box' ); e.setAttribute( 'href', 'http://www.facebook.com/vietworldkitchen' ); // FB.XFBML.Element._getPxAttribute dies with an error in IE // if the value of "width" is set to an integer, not a string. e.setAttribute( 'width', container.offsetWidth + 'px' ); e.setAttribute( 'connections', '0' ); e.setAttribute( 'stream', 'false' ); e.setAttribute( 'header', 'false' ); container.appendChild( e ); } } )(); RecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesViet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2011 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2011/12/maggi-seasoning-sauce-substitutes-gluten-free-msg-free.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
No comments:
Post a Comment