Made in America: choose the best mayonnaise

They say that at the family table you cannot talk about religion and politics. There is a third topic that can completely embroil any family - this is the favorite gas station of all Americans, mayonnaise. Every year in the US, about $ 2 billion is spent on mayonnaise, while on ketchup - only $ 800 million. In the third place, the eastern guest is soy sauce, which Americans did not spare $ 725 million last year. store shelves can be found at least a dozen. And this is not counting those with flavors. We will understand the types of mayonnaise, so that the store does not guess which one to take to the table.

Of course, some American manufacturers cannot please the taste and color of our customers at all. And our man goes to the “Russian store” to buy “Ryaba”, “Maheev” or other “Provencal” familiar to the taste buds. But experienced housewives say that if you add lemon juice and mustard to traditional American mayonnaise, it will turn out just like your mother’s at home.

Of course, nothing compares to homemade, personally cooked mayonnaise. But when you need to cut several dozen burgers and a couple of salads, and relatives are already on the threshold, it is best to have on hand a large jar of ready-made refueling. The authors of the material from Serious Eats selected 9 brands of mayonnaise and treated them to a group of tasters to determine which one was the best.

Mayonnaise brands selected for tasting

Not only well-known brands participated in the tasting, but also several large regional products. In addition, Miracle Whip was on the list of participants - not exactly mayonnaise, but a very popular gas station, which many Americans put in salads and sandwiches instead mayonnaise. So, the full list of participants of the tasting: Miracle Whip, Duke's, Kraft, Whole Foods 365, Trader Joe's, Hellman's, Best Foods *, Kewpie, Blue Plate.

* At the time of the tasting, the usual Mayonnaise Best Foods was not available, so the tasters tried the rapeseed version.

Criteria for evaluation

The participants of the tasting group first tried all the mayonnaise on their own, then with blanched asparagus, and, finally, in the classic potato salad, in order to understand how each of them behaves in different gastronomic circumstances. Tasters were asked to evaluate the sweetness of each mayonnaise, its piquancy, and also to give a general assessment taking into account the other characteristics - texture, taste and general impressions of each brand. All tastings were held without specifying brands and without discussion.

The results

The blue mark indicates the overall rating, red is sweetness, orange is the piquancy of the taste of each mayonnaise:

The taste of homemade mayonnaise, made from eggs, butter, a small amount of mustard and lemon juice, is very different from the packaged. The main reason is the cost of production. The most expensive ingredient in mayonnaise is eggs. To make a cup of mayonnaise at home, you use 1-2 eggs. On the production of the same number of eggs using super-powerful emulsion machines make a lot more product. As the tasting showed, people prefer mayonnaise brands with a softer creamy texture, similar to a homemade product, than fatter and heavier in taste.

Lemon juice also falls out of the equation. Most commercial mayonnaises are made using vinegar that adds sharpness to taste. Therefore, home and store products in this regard are different. The acuteness of tasters alone was not enough for good product ratings — the study showed no correlation between piquancy and overall rating. Instead, participants looked for mayonnaise with a bright and fresh taste.

Also, there was no interdependence between the sweetness of taste and the overall rating - the winner of the rating received average points in terms of sweetness and piquancy. Conclusion: to like, the taste must be balanced.

No.1: Kraft. 6,2 points from 10

The winning brand received a prize for the brightest, the freshest and most interesting taste and the average level of sweetness among mayonnaise. It differs from other brands of this tasting in that it contains onions and garlic in its base, as well as a touch of paprika. This was enough to stand out from other brands with a depth of taste that they lack.

The second place was shared by 2 mayonnaise.

№ 2 Duke's. 5,8 points from 10

Duke's mayonnaise is very popular in the southern United States. It captivated tasters with its creamy and soft texture, most reminiscent of homemade mayonnaise. “Thick and creamy” and “very savory at first but then sweeter” were comments received about this product. The mayonnaise itself seemed very strong, but in the potato salad it won over most tasters with its sourness.

№ 2 Trader Joe's. 5,8 points from 10

Trader Joe's mayonnaise was definitely created as a substitute for Hellman's - they even have almost identical packaging. The ingredient lists for both brands are also similar, but Trader Joe's uses a combination of clarified vinegar, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Not everyone liked it, and the opinions of tasters were divided. Some gave it low scores (one even asked "why does it taste like brown sugar?"), but the mayonnaise still scored enough positive ratings to take 2nd place.

№ 3. Hellman's. 5,7 points from 10

The most famous mayonnaise brand on the East Coast has come out strong. Some tasters said its rich flavor was very reminiscent of homemade mayonnaise: "you can taste the eggs" and "very rich, balanced flavor, just enough salty." It is noticeably thicker than other brands, but due to the level of acid in it, tasters did not find the mayonnaise too greasy.

№ 4. Kewpie. 5,3 points from 10

This mayonnaise is difficult to compare to other brands, given its specific composition: rice vinegar flavor combined with spices and a good dose of MSG. At the same time, this is the only brand that only adds yolks to the composition, and not whole eggs.

Some participants in the tasting claimed that the mayonnaise had a “fishy” aroma. Most likely due to the MSG and vegetable oil in the recipe. But if you're a Kewpie lover, learning what's in it isn't likely to change your mind about mayonnaise.

No.5. Best Food's Canola (с rapeseed). 5,3 points from 10

Best Food's and Hellman's are owned by Unilever, and their packaging, like marketing, is almost the same. Best Foods is sold to the west of the Rocky Mountains, and Hellman's is to the east of them. Some of the tasters said that they tasted the same, while others seemed very different. In the tasting, Best Food's was used with rapeseed oil (Canola), therefore it is impossible to confirm or refute any of the versions.

What can be confirmed is that Best Food's Canola is a decent mayonnaise that tastes similar to Hellman's in terms of saltiness and tanginess, although different in texture due to the addition of starch-based thickeners. Some tasters found it a little fishy, ​​which can be explained by canola oil's reputation for easily acquiring fishy flavors.

No.6. Blue Plate. Xnumx points of 10

Another competitor from the South is Blue Plate. It was rated as follows: the lowest score for savory, the second lowest score for sweetness, and the overall taste seemed too bland to tasters. “This one tastes very greasy. Has it gone bad?” asked one of the experts.

No.7. Whole Foods 365 Organic. Xnumx points of 10

Another disappointment is the organic mayonnaise from the Whole Foods 365 brand. The main problem turned out to be too fishy flavor (this mayonnaise is also made with canola oil) and unbalanced taste (not sweet enough, too savory). “It tastes like sprat!” exclaimed one of the tasters.

№ 8. Miracle Whip. 3,7 points from 10

If vinegar and fructose corn syrup are on the list of ingredients after soybean oil, the product can be expected to be sweet and savory. If on random picnics or snacks, when there is nothing more, he will get away, then in comparison with other mayonnaise Miracle Whip will not stand the competition. Too luscious and unnatural in his taste. Despite the low rating, many tasters appreciated this refueling. Perhaps, in itself, it is not too pleasant for the taste buds, but in more complex dishes it may well be.

It's not mayonnaise, but worth getting to know

Some buyers (for one reason, for example) are called mayonnaise Ranch. This is the most popular dressing in the United States, but has no relation to mayonnaise. Even the composition does not look like: buttermilk, garlic, herbs and onions. Ranch is a very high-calorie sauce: in one tablespoon of 75 there are more calories in 2 than in mayonnaise. Only Caesar is more dangerous for a figure (78 calories per tablespoon), which is also attributed to mayonnaise for some reason. Yes, there is an egg in the composition, but this is not mayonnaise. Dressing is made from a mixture of anchovy, mustard, egg yolk, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and olive oil.

With a big stretch of mayonnaise can be called Blue Cheese. Yes, this is mayonnaise, but cheese, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, as well as onion and garlic powder have been added to it. Approximately the same mayonnaise can be called and Thousand Island. In this refueling there is a large proportion of maynes and 20 components.

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