While you might be searching for the definitive answer to “what is Doctor Strange’s real name” (for the record, it’s Stephen Strange), you’ve stumbled upon a tale far stranger than anything conjured in the Marvel Universe. Prepare to be spellbound by the real-life enigma of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” and the surprising hoax that started it all, a narrative more twisted than any mystical dimension.
The Genesis of a Myth: A Letter and a $10 Bet
In 1968, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a brief letter that would ignite a firestorm of controversy and cultural bias. Under the unassuming title “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome,” a supposed Dr. Robert Ho Man Kwok detailed a series of unsettling symptoms experienced after dining at Chinese restaurants: numbness, weakness, and palpitations. The letter subtly pointed a finger at monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common seasoning in Chinese cuisine, as a potential culprit.
This seemingly innocuous letter, however, was far from a genuine medical observation. It was the brainchild of Dr. Howard Steel ’42, a Colgate alumnus and orthopedic surgeon, concocted on a whim and fueled by a playful wager. His colleague, Dr. Bill Hanson, challenged Steel’s literary prowess, betting him $10 that he couldn’t get published in the esteemed NEJM. Inspired by post-Chinese food malaise after weekly dinners with Hanson, Steel penned the now-infamous letter as a deliberate spoof.
Illustration of two doctors shaking hands, one with his fingers crossed in his other hand
Alt text: Humorous illustration depicting two doctors sealing a bet with a handshake, one slyly crossing his fingers, symbolizing the deceitful nature of the MSG hoax.
Steel even fabricated the author’s name, “Robert Ho Man Kwok,” a thinly veiled pun, and the fictitious “National Biomedical Research Foundation” to underscore the letter’s satirical intent. To his astonishment, and perhaps horror, the NEJM published it without question, unleashing a wave of unintended consequences.
From Comic Relief to Cultural Hysteria: The MSG Panic Unfolds
What began as a lighthearted prank quickly spiraled into a decades-long saga of misinformation and prejudice. Professor Jennifer LeMesurier of Colgate University, initially intrigued by a passing mention of the MSG controversy, unearthed the original letter and subsequent responses. She discovered a cascade of letters published in the NEJM, ranging from anecdotal accounts mirroring “Dr. Kwok’s” symptoms to outright mockery of the notion.
However, a disturbing undercurrent permeated these responses: a subtle yet palpable racism that attributed the supposed ailment to the inherent “unsavoriness” of Chinese food, rather than any specific chemical. As LeMesurier noted, the discourse rapidly devolved into ethnic stereotyping, a stark departure from the expected clinical objectivity of medical professionals.
LeMesurier’s research, culminating in her paper “Uptaking Race: Genre, MSG, and Chinese Dinner,” highlights how this fabricated letter ignited a media frenzy and fueled a lasting, racially charged hysteria around MSG. Initially, she, too, believed in the letter’s authenticity, until a fateful voicemail message from Dr. Howard Steel himself revealed the truth.
Confessions of a Hoaxer: Dr. Steel’s Revelation
Decades after the letter’s publication, Dr. Steel reached out to Professor LeMesurier, confessing his role in the MSG controversy. He recounted the bet, the satirical intent, and his attempts to retract the letter upon realizing its unintended impact. According to Steel, his calls to the NEJM editors, including Franz Ingelfinger, were dismissed, leaving the fabricated narrative to propagate unchecked. The NEJM, when contacted recently, declined to comment on events from 50 years prior, neither confirming nor denying Steel’s account or whether the letter underwent peer review.
The revelation of the hoax adds a layer of irony to the subsequent letters published in the NEJM. One letter, penned by H. Schaumburg of Albert Einstein College, mimicked the original’s style, detailing elaborate symptoms after consuming Chinese food, complete with pseudo-scientific jargon and a tongue-in-cheek grant proposal for further research. LeMesurier discovered that NEJM had a history of publishing such “comic syndrome letters,” satirical pieces using medical language to satirize everyday complaints. However, the “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome” letters took a darker turn, shifting focus from the ailment itself to prejudiced stereotypes about Chinese food and culture.
The Misunderstood Monosodium Glutamate: Separating Fact from Fiction
At the heart of the controversy lies MSG itself, a naturally occurring amino acid that imparts the savory “umami” flavor. Professor LeMesurier astutely points out that MSG is as natural as water, present in foods like aged cheese and tomatoes. Powdered MSG, developed in 1908, became a staple in Asian cuisine, particularly in Chinese restaurants in the United States.
man eating with chopsticks while steam in the shape of dragons circles his face
Alt text: A stylized image depicting a man enjoying Chinese food with chopsticks, whimsical dragon-shaped steam rising, subtly referencing the exoticized perception of Chinese cuisine associated with the MSG myth.
Despite MSG’s widespread presence in various foods, the “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome” letters and subsequent media coverage laser-focused on Chinese dishes like “egg foo yung” and “duck sauce.” This selective association fueled the prejudiced narrative, portraying MSG as a uniquely “Chinese” problem. Even a NEJM editor contributed to the frenzy, coining the mock-scientific term “post-cibal-sinal” syndrome and singling out a specific Boston restaurant, further legitimizing the fabricated ailment.
LeMesurier argues that while the letter writers may not have been overtly racist, they tapped into and amplified existing cultural stereotypes about Asian Americans as “exotic and strange.” “Kwok” and MSG became symbols for anxieties and prejudices surrounding Chinese identity, contributing to a long history of mistrust and exoticism directed at Chinese food. This historical context includes 19th-century cartoons depicting Chinese people eating rats and derogatory descriptions of Chinese food as unclean, even from prominent figures like Mark Twain.
Media Amplification and the Entrenchment of a Falsehood
The mainstream media, notably The New York Times, swiftly adopted the “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome” narrative, further solidifying its legitimacy in the public consciousness. An article in May 1968 presented the syndrome as fact, attributing its discovery to a “Cantonese doctor named Robert Ho Man Kwok,” fabricating details about his background and arrival in the United States. This media coverage amplified the racial bias, focusing on Chinese restaurants as the source of the MSG problem while ignoring its broader use in other cuisines.
Ian Mosby, a historian from York University, emphasizes how the media played a crucial role in legitimizing stereotypes about Chinese cooking. Colgate astrophysics professor Jeff Bary, who teaches about cultural influences on scientific perception, points to a lack of scientific literacy in the media and a pre-existing cultural bias that made the public readily accept the negative portrayal of Chinese food.
caution ticker tape coming out of a giant fortune cookie as people look on
Alt text: A fortune cookie spewing caution tape, symbolizing the unfounded warnings and fear surrounding MSG perpetuated by media and cultural biases.
Ironically, the media attention spurred actual, albeit flawed, scientific studies attempting to validate “Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome.” Even H. Schaumburg, the satirical letter writer, conducted early experiments injecting MSG into subjects, contributing to the initial wave of questionable research that fueled public fear. Despite later studies debunking the harmful effects of MSG in normal consumption, the cultural myth persisted.
The Lingering Legacy of a Hoax: Prejudice and Misinformation Endure
Decades of scientific evidence have refuted the link between MSG and adverse health effects. The FDA and independent scientific bodies have concluded that MSG is safe for the vast majority of people. Yet, the prejudice persists. Surveys indicate that a significant portion of the population still actively avoids MSG, demonstrating the enduring power of misinformation and cultural bias. Major food brands continue to address MSG concerns on their websites, and negative reviews of Chinese restaurants often mention MSG-related symptoms, even in the absence of scientific basis.
Professor LeMesurier emphasizes that the MSG story serves as a cautionary tale about the insidious nature of prejudice and the ease with which misinformation can take root in a culture, even within scientific and medical communities. Dr. Steel’s hoax, though intended as a joke, inadvertently unleashed a wave of cultural prejudice with lasting consequences. While he expressed regret for the unintended harm, the MSG saga remains a potent reminder of the importance of critical thinking, media literacy, and challenging ingrained biases. It is a story far stranger, and arguably more impactful, than any fictional sorcerer’s tale.
Howard Steel ’42 fishing
Alt text: A contemplative black and white photograph of Howard Steel fishing, reflecting on the long-lasting and unexpected consequences of his medical hoax.
