Feel like you are in a maze with mayonnaise? Musings about mayonnaise, its history, and variations. Bonus – How to make Kewpie Mayonnaise Popsicles!
Ambrose Bierce’s definition of mayo from his 1906 Devil’s Dictionary:
One of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion.
It is said,
“It is highly probable that wherever olive oil existed, a simple preparation of oil and egg came about – particularly in the Mediterranean region, where aioli (oil and garlic) is made.”
– M. Trutter et al., Culinaria Spain p. 68 (H.F. Ullmann 2008)
Mayonnaise is a condiment that is so special it can even make people move their homes. After the Northridge earthquake, a friend said he and his wife were moving back to the Midwest. I reassured him the earthquakes don’t come that often in California, and then he said they were moving because his wife could not find her favorite Hellman’s mayonnaise. They wound up staying when they found out that it was called Best Foods in the West.
Many people prefer Duke’s mayonnaise, and others really have great things to say about Kewpie, the Japanese mayonnaise. Some people swear by homemade mayonnaise. Homemade mayonnaise is not difficult to make, and you can tweak it until it tastes how you want it to.
From Chef John Farion, chef de cuisine at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. Chef John went to the Big Kitchen in the Sky in 2018, and his advice is sorely missed.
Let’s put to rest the group fantasy that mayo is “salmonella pudding,” Mayo has a high acid content that prevents bacterial growth. Mayo will spoil only if you mix it in already spoiled food.
If you are afraid of tainted maise you make yourself, start with pasteurized eggs.
For a different variation, try Japanese Style Mayo: “Japanese mayonnaise is typically made with apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and a small amount of MSG, which gives it a different flavor from mayonnaise made from distilled vinegar. It is most often sold in soft plastic squeeze bottles. Its texture is thinner than most Western commercial mayonnaise. A variety containing karashi (Japanese mustard) is also common.”
As for the mayo on the wall…that’s a different story. :-)
~ John Farion, CWC, August 24, 2011
Kewpie Mayonnaise Popsicle Recipe
Recipe by Chef John Farion (went to the Big Kitchen in the Sky 2018).
Email Me the Recipe
Kewpie Mayonnaise Popsicle
Equipment
If you purchase any of the products through these affiliate links, I get a few pennies that help keep The Good Plate open. I use these products myself and want you to be able to easily find them.
Ingredients
- 32 oz Kewpie Mayonnaise, or your favorite mayonnaise
- ½ cup *olive oil
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
- Pinch cinnamon
- 3 oz vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together until the mixture has the consistency of a fluffy topping (like whipped creamed). Using popsicle trays – pour the mixture in the individual tray cubes and insert a stick in the middle. Place in freezer.
You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!
First time for me to come across a mayo popsicle. Interesting recipe.
I really, really like the way you write. Please keep up the amazing work