Chinese restaurant syndrome

noun

dated, sometimes offensive

: a group of symptoms held to affect susceptible persons eating food heavily seasoned with monosodium glutamate : msg symptom complex

Note: The term Chinese restaurant syndrome was coined in the late 1960s following reports of people having bad reactions to food seasoned with monosodium glutamate in Chinese restaurants. Research in the years since has failed to establish a clear link between those adverse reactions and the consumption of MSG, and the term Chinese restaurant syndrome has been criticized as misleading and potentially offensive. It has been replaced in medical literature by MSG symptom complex.

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Chinese restaurant syndrome

noun

Chinese res·​tau·​rant syndrome -ˈres-t(ə-)rənt-, -tə-ˌränt-, -ˌtränt-, -tərnt- 

dated, sometimes offensive

: a group of symptoms held to affect susceptible persons eating food heavily seasoned with monosodium glutamate : msg symptom complex

Note: The term Chinese restaurant syndrome was coined in the late 1960s following reports of people having bad reactions to food seasoned with monosodium glutamate in Chinese restaurants. Research in the years since has failed to establish a clear link between those adverse reactions and the consumption of MSG, and the term Chinese restaurant syndrome has been criticized as misleading and potentially offensive. It has been replaced in medical literature by MSG symptom complex.