Recent reports of panic-buying in Pyongyang shops, a phenomenon first reported by NK Pro’s sister site NK News, often contain references to a condiment rarely thought of as a staple good in other countries: sodium glutamate, also known as monosodium glutamate or MSG.

Well-off Pyongyangites have been “seen buying big amounts of mostly-imported products in some grocery stores, resulting in abrupt shortages,” a source told NK News last week.

South Korean outlet Daily NK’s source identified some of these precious goods in a separate report on April 30: “Right now 100 grams of imported pepper