Holding up a yellowy chip, Marcos says: \u201cIn Australia, they have chicken salt, which is a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and MSG \u2013 so it\u2019s straight crack. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have this back home \u2013 we have salt and pepper, but this ruins your life because it\u2019s delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The video went viral as expats and locals scrambled to process the information. <\/p>\n
\u201cWait, I\u2019m an Australian and there\u2019s no chicken in chicken salt?\u201d one asked. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a 45-year-old Aussie and never considered once what was in chicken salt. Thanks,\u201d another noted. <\/p>\n
Frankie is spot on \u2013 traditional chicken salt recipes typically blend salt, garlic powder, onion powder, spices like paprika, and often MSG (monosodium glutamate) as a flavour enhancer. <\/p>\n
The MSG myth<\/p>\n
Using MSG, which was the most shocking reveal for many, gives the salt blend its umami taste. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s found naturally in foods like tomatoes and cheese, but it\u2019s long been controversial due to myths about \u201cChinese Restaurant Syndrome\u201d causing headaches or nausea. <\/p>\n
The term was first used by a US physician in 1968, who questioned some of the symptoms he experienced after eating at several Chinese restaurants. After subsequent media coverage, MSG gained a negative public perception, which was only exacerbated by harmful race-based stereotypes about the cuisine. <\/p>\n
However, studies have failed to show a link between MSG and widespread reactions, and health authorities like Food Standards Australia New Zealand deem MSG safe for the general population.<\/p>\n
That said, some sensitive people still report headaches from it, so moderation is encouraged. <\/p>\n
Chicken salt\u2019s origin story<\/p>\n
Chicken salt traces back to the early 1970s in Gawler, 40 km north of Adelaide, where Peter Brinkworth invented it at his chicken shop to flavour rotisserie chickens on the spit. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were putting chickens on a spit \u2026 and sprinkling them with different condiments, I thought, well, this is a bit silly. Why don\u2019t I just make up one condiment to sprinkle on the chickens and give them a bit more flavour and appearance?\u201d Mr Brinkworth told SBS Food.<\/p>\n
He mixed paprika in for colour and used MSG for the kick. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the main thing that has made chicken salt what it was. MSG had that real flavour bomb,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Brinkworth also ran a wholesale chicken business, and when local takeaway stores bought his chickens, he supplied them with chicken salt. <\/p>\n
One shop owner had a revelation and said, \u201cGee, that\u2019s good on chips!\u201d which led the idea to take off.<\/p>\n
By 1979, food manufacturer Mitani bought the recipe, commercialised it, and it exploded into every fish-and-chip shop and supermarket nationwide. <\/p>\n
Since then, Mitani has adjusted the original recipe (it\u2019s now vegetarian, halal and MSG-free), and multiple other brands have brought out their own twist on the classic seasoning.<\/p>\n
Boutique spice shop Gew\u00fcrzhaus offers an all-natural Australian Chicken Salt using sea salt, coconut sugar, garlic, onion, sesame, and kelp for umami, whereas Mingle Seasoning\u2019s blend includes soy sauce powder, nutritional yeast, coriander, mushroom and turmeric extract. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, cult takeaway chain Chargrill Charlie\u2019s cashes in with its signature chicken salt jars – sans MSG – plus novelty bath salts for \u201cmarinating\u201d in the tub.<\/p>\n