Severe MSG Allergy...what is the word for it in Budapest?

What about consulting a Travel Medical Clinic? Is there one online?
If your allergy is severe, don't forget to carry your "Epi-pen" or "AnaKit" with you at all times.

Make sure you and your travel companions are comfortable administering it. (You could always practise/demonstrate with your old expired needle and a grapefruit...)
Also, you might consider wearing a Medic alert type bracelet or necklace pendant indicating your severe allergy(incase of emergency).

English is supposed to be the Universal spoken language so chances are Responders will be able to translate.

Barbara,
It is not English that is a universal language, but Latin. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, and any chef should know what it is. In the countries of the EU, it is known as E621.
E numbers are codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System (INS) as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union, giving rise to the 'E' prefix.

E numbers are also encountered on food labeling in other jurisdictions, including the GCC, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. They are increasingly (though still rarely) found on North American packaging, especially in Canada

Try an online dictionary.

Barbara, that's a tough one. Remember one thing about European culture in general. It is not as though Europeans are rude or anything. But taking peoples' food allergies and other special needs into account is not as important in many European cultures as it is in America. Europeans see Americans with special needs as having the opinion that it is their God-given right to have everyone bend over backwards to accommodate them. European cultures tend to leave those people to manage their own special needs.

I AM NOT MAKING ANY VALUE JUDGMENTS ON EUROPEANS OR AMERICANS IN REGARDS TO THIS! So please, people in this forum, do not start opining about what you think is my opinion on this matter and whether that makes you think that I am a good or bad person. I'm only trying to let Barbara know that she should expect some resistance to her special need.

Barbara,

I heard in Romania they call something "E" followed by a number and it's believed that it causes cancer. I am not sure if it's the same thing as MSG

Are you already overseas?

Well I know I am opening something here but here goes an idea. Since MSG is commanly found in Chinese restaurants, and there are chinese restaurants to be found everywhere. Why not go there and ask someone in the kitchen. If there is a language barrier then ask to look at the bags.

If you are still at home. Go to a local Chinese place that does use MSG and have them write the characters in Chinese, chances are other Chinese abroad will be able to read it, and if you can't get to see a kitchen the waiter might be able to translate to Hungarian.

Out of curiosity, how prevelant is MSG in Hungarian food?

Oops, I made a boo boo. Make it Greek, not Latin.

Not to be pendantic, but it's not always monosodium glutamate. In German, it's (mono)natriumglutamat since natrium is German for sodium. (I knew my 2 years in a German chemistry lab would give me something. :) I also found: Glutammato Monosodico (Italian); Hidrogenoglutamato de sodio (Spanish); Hydrogénoglutamate de sodium (French). Unfortunately, I couldn't find Hungarian.

Paul

Hi Barbara,
Try posting this question on the tripadvisor.com Budapest forum. You are far more likely to find a native Hungarian speaker there. Good Luck.

Has your MSG allergy been confirmed with tests by a medical doctor? A recent report on CNN.com found that MSG allergies were not related to Chinese restaurants as previously thought. I would recommend that you google the topic and see if you can find the report. I have experienced an upset stomach after eating in a Chinese restaurant. But now, I wonder if it was due to MSG as I have not had this problem when eating at good restaurants in Chinatown in San Francisco. I will send you a few comments on Budapest in a separate note. Cheers!

Although the Hungarians have joined the EU, they have not made the progress that Poland has. Many of the buildings in Budapest are crumbling. For example, the Gellert Hotel Spa needs repair. The pool that is seen on the cover of Lonely Planet was closed for repairs. Do TAKE your own own as there weren't any for rent. Cars and other vehicles race down the main street. We stayed at the Ibis Hotel, but didn't eat breakfast there. The McDonalds about 2 blocks away was very nice, and they have a separate bar that serves "American" coffee. Ask for it like that. Lots of "street" people. The Hungarians want euros, not their own currency. The boat ride with music at sunset is wonderful. Don't miss Monument Park on the outskirts. Rick's book covers it well.
I did not have any problems with the food. Pricey, but good. We went from there to Szentendre and Esztergom and then onto Gyor where we stayed overnigt. It was July and it was HOT!! 102 Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and very valuable info! You've been so helpful.

By the way, MSG is used as a flavor enhancer, One brand in the US is "Accent." It is found in all types of foods and is prevalent in smoke flavoring, soup bases & salad dressings. Beef jerky, Boullion cubes and flavored potato & corn chips are full of it as a rule. Again, thank you so much for your help on this topic!

Barbara, I understand fully your concerns as I too have the same concerns. I am travelling through Europe for 3 months next year and will just to have be extra careful when choosing my meals. Please let us know how you get on in Budapest. I thought I might be pretty safe in Europe, whilst travelling in Asia I had my worst MSG reaction, but now I am concerned about Europe also. I was told that the European chefs dont use it as widely as the Asian chefs.

Ruth, Good luck on your journey. I found that Vegetarian restaurants are generally careful not to use it. Isle of Tesoro in Madrid is outstanding. Still, be sure to check. You can have up to 3 email translations emailed to you from menudata.com. That service is free (but they don't have hungarian translations.) Best of luck to you. Please let me know how you fare as well.

While an earlier poster believes that Latin is the Universal language...Correction...On second thought...she believes that Greek is the universal language...

I'll agree that the majority of words do originate from the Latin or Greek. Absolutely!

However, I still stand on the fact that English is the Universal spoken language and NOT Greek. You will be safe having your Medic Alert in English.

How many people in the general population read/speak/comprehend Greek Vs English?

(This is perhaps why Aircraft Transmissions are in English and/or the language of the destination city as opposed to any other language of the world.)

I have to disagree with the poster who says that euro's are preferred. I've never found anyone in Hungary who would take euro's without a great deal of hassle and a bad exchange rate. Get forints.