The 140-Year-Old Condiment That Still Doesn't Get Proper Recognition In The US

So many international sauces and condiments are part of American pantries now, like indispensable bottles of soy sauce and tamari, complex and meaty Worcestershire sauce, and umami-packed fish sauce, to name a scant few. But there's one condiment that just somehow hasn't broken through yet, and that's Maggi Seasoning. 

It was originally created in 1886 by a Swiss miller turned instant soup maker named Julius Maggi. Years ago, I knew it existed, but not what it tasted like or how it was used, until my now-wife — who had grown up with it — introduced it to our household. We can't do without it now, both as a cooking ingredient and for dashing onto a finished plate.

Maggi has a lot in common with soy sauce. In fact, if you put glass bottles of the two sauces next to each other, it would be nearly impossible to tell the difference visually. While Maggi does sort of taste like soy sauce, it's wheat-based instead. It's intensely savory and sort of meaty without actually containing meat. It is primarily made with water, salt, wheat gluten, and wheat flour, though it also contains ingredients such as sugar, acetic acid (which gives vinegar its tang), and flavor enhancers disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate. It has a more complex flavor profile than soy sauce.

While it's not common in American cooking, Maggi is widely used across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. It's just not a big thing in the U.S. You can find it in many supermarkets, but you just might have to hunt around for it. The bottle has a very distinct yellow and red label with a narrow neck. 

Use Maggi Seasoning like you would other salty, umami-boosting condiments. Not only do I use a few drops of Maggi to perk up boring canned soups, beans, eggs, or even steak, but I also use it as a cooking ingredient for pretty much anything from sauces to stews. It's as delicious in Mexican carne en su jugo as it is sprinkled over potato chips. Frankly, I haven't found many cuisines Maggi isn't compatible with, since it's one of those products that expertly glues savory puzzle pieces together in a dish. 

You really don't need much at all, because it's about as salty as soy sauce is — a little goes a long way. It does take some getting used to. Since it looks like soy sauce, your brain might interpret it as such, but make no mistake, they taste distinctly different. Maggi contains what I'd liken to herbal notes as well.

Maggi Seasoning also comes in multiple forms and formulations. Different countries have their own recipes, and there are even sauces, spice mixes, and bouillon cubes. There are also Maggi instant noodles and more, so the company has all sorts of goods out in the marketplace. For whatever reason, Maggi just hasn't found a foothold in the United States as a condiment and ingredient, which has always been odd to me given the melting pot of American cuisine. It fits in easily with so many dishes, so it's up to you to discover just how you like to use it.