Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and an acid like vinegar or lemon juice, forming the rich base for countless sandwich spreads, salad dressings, and dipping sauces around the world.
How to buy
Look for a short ingredient list if you want a cleaner flavor, and consider Japanese-style mayonnaise (often sold as Kewpie), which uses only egg yolks and rice vinegar for a richer, slightly sweeter, more umami result than typical American mayonnaise. Avocado or olive oil versions offer a more assertive flavor than neutral soybean or canola versions.
How to store
Refrigerate after opening and use within about two months for best quality. Homemade mayonnaise made with raw egg yolks carries a higher salmonella risk than commercial versions, which use pasteurized eggs, so keep it well chilled and eat it within a few days, and avoid serving raw-egg mayonnaise to pregnant people, young children, the elderly, or anyone immunocompromised.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Rich and tangy with a mild eggy backbone, cut by the sharpness of vinegar or citrus. Kewpie-style mayonnaise skews sweeter and more savory thanks to added MSG, while mayonnaise made with a strong-flavored oil like olive oil carries more of that oil's character through.
- Texture
- Thick, glossy, and smooth when properly emulsified; it breaks and separates into an oily, curdled mess if overheated or if oil is added too quickly while whisking. Folding it into other ingredients lightens its texture considerably.
- Aroma
- Mild and faintly eggy with a touch of acidity; it doesn't carry much aroma beyond whatever oil or vinegar went into it.
How to prepare
- Whisked into dressings — Thinned with buttermilk, vinegar, or herbs to make creamy salad dressings.
- Used as a sandwich spread — Spread directly onto bread as a moisture and flavor base before other fillings.
- Flavored into condiments — Blended with garlic, sriracha, or citrus zest to make quick aioli-style sauces.
- Folded into salads — Used as the binder in potato, egg, tuna, or chicken salad.
- Brushed on before grilling — Used as a baste on corn or fish to promote browning and add richness.
Classic dishes
American
- Potato salad — Boiled potatoes tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing with mustard, egg, and pickles.
- Deviled eggs — Hard-boiled egg yolks mashed with mayonnaise and mustard, then piped back into the whites.
- Coleslaw — Shredded cabbage and carrot tossed in a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing.
- Tuna salad sandwich — Canned tuna bound with mayonnaise and often celery or pickle for a classic sandwich filling.
- Club sandwich — A layered sandwich relying on a thin spread of mayonnaise to tie its turkey, bacon, and lettuce together.
- Chicken salad sandwich — Shredded chicken bound with mayonnaise, often with grapes or celery for crunch.
- Egg salad sandwich — Chopped hard-boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise and mustard for a creamy sandwich filling.
Mexican
- Elote — Grilled corn on the cob coated in mayonnaise, cheese, chile powder, and lime.
- Esquites — A cup-based version of elote, with corn kernels tossed in mayonnaise, cheese, and chile.
Japanese
- California roll with spicy mayo — A sushi roll finished with a drizzle of mayonnaise whisked with chili sauce.
- Okonomiyaki — A savory pancake topped with a signature drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise and sauce.
- Katsu sando — A fried pork cutlet sandwich with a thin layer of mayonnaise mixed into the sauce or spread on the bread.
- Spicy tuna mayo onigiri — A rice ball filled with tuna mixed with mayonnaise and a touch of chili.
Vietnamese
- Banh mi — A Vietnamese baguette sandwich spread with mayonnaise beneath its pickled vegetables and meat.
Cajun & Creole
- Remoulade — A tangy mayonnaise-based sauce spiked with mustard, hot sauce, and herbs, served with fried seafood.
British & Irish
- Fish and chips with tartar sauce — Fried fish served with a mayonnaise-based sauce studded with capers and pickles.