Need to Know
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US – Omsom, the ‘proud and loud’ Asian food brand,has released the IYKYK condiment set (If You Know, You Know set), including Korean salt, Vietnamese pepper and an unexpected addition – monosodium glutamate (MSG), reclaiming the narrative around the misunderstood flavour-enhancer.

Boasting colourful and punchy designs, the refillable wooden shakers are remixing the staple salt and pepper tabletop seasoning set in a bid to flip the misconceptions around MSG and its connotations as a 'dirty' ingredient. With its IYKYK Set, Omsom hopes to rebrand MSG as a delicious and safe ingredient and turn around its bad reputation, which is tainted by anti-Asian xenophobia and bad science.

‘Our IYKYK Set is a reclamation and celebration of not just an ingredient that we grew up with, but one that we were conditioned to be ashamed of. Now, MSG can sit at the centre of any table, ready to be used daily – as it should be,’ says the brand’s co-founder Kim Pham.

Omsom hopes to inspire more brands to rebrand Asian food culture and debunk the harmful narratives surrounding Asian ingredients and communities.

UK – Walk-Up Avenue is a new project in the centre of Craigmillar, Edinburgh, that has turned an abandoned space into a multi-functional hub for residents. The project was developed by the City of Edinburgh Council with the support of Nature Restoration Fund and other funding bodies. It includes a playground, an event space and green areas designed to support biodiversity and prevent flooding.

The intention behind the project is to bring the community together and support local businesses, encouraging residents to take ownership and use the space according to the needs of the community. The project keeps Edinburgh’s 20-minute neighbourhood strategy in mind, aiming to bring everything within easily accessible distance. It’s a clear example of the approach in action, creating ‘opportunities for people across the city to have better access to nature and open space’, explains councillor Jane Meagher, housing, homelessness and fair work convener.

Allowing for local amenities to be easily accessible within a short distance from residents’ homes, Walk-Up Avenue represents a growing shift towards cities that prioritise equitable spaces and collective action.

Social media platforms continue to encroach on the domain of heritage news outlets. According to research by the Pew Research Center, more than a quarter of US adults under 30 regularly use TikTok to get their news.

While consumption of news on other social media platforms has declined or plateaued in recent years, TikTok is emerging as a prominent news outlet for a small but growing segment of the young adult population in the US. The percentage of American adults who claim to regularly get news via TikTok has nearly tripled in two years, from 3% in 2020 to 10% in 2022.

The social media platform, which is particularly popular among US teens, is enabling creators to create content that speaks to Generation Z. At a time when public confidence in the media remains at an all-time low, this development will pose yet another threat to traditional news organisations that prioritise accuracy and neutrality.