Tag Archives: Japanese mayo

America discovered good mayonnaise

1 May

I grew up in America. So I grew up thinking that mayonnaise was the bland white stuff in American supermarkets.

One of the most popular brands of "mayonnaise" in the U.S.

Growing up, I had no special attraction to “mayonnaise”. I put it on tuna or ham sandwiches…but that was it.
I would have never dreamed of eating mayo as a salad dressing or on noodles.

But when I came to Japan, I learned what mayonnaise is supposed to taste like.

Japan's 「キューピーマヨネーズ」 ("Kewpie Mayonnaise")

Japanese mayonnaise looks and tastes totally different than the American version.
In Japan, mayonnaise is made with egg yolk and rice vinegar so it has a yellow color and a sweet / sour taste.
American mayonnaise is made with egg whites and tastes like whipped egg whites.

By far, the most popular brand of mayonnaise in Japan is 「キューピーマヨネーズ」 (“Kewpie Mayonnaise“).
It tastes good on sandwiches, spaghetti, Okonomiyaki, Tako-yaki, Yakisoba, salads, celery, and so much more.
It’s sometimes even used in place of tomato sauce as a topping on pizza here in Japan.

Another big difference is the containers.
In America, mayonnaise comes in a glass jar. It’s a pain to get the mayonnaise out when it’s almost empty.
But Japanese mayonnaise is in a plastic squeezable bottle. Much easier to use.

(Ketchup is sold in similar plastic bottles in Japan…unlike the glass ketchup bottles in the U.S.)

Well, it was on the news here in Japan that America people have discovered Japanese mayonnaise.
It said that “Kewpie Mayonnaise” from Japan has become the number one selling mayonnaise on Amazon.com‘s condiment section.

Have you ever tried Japanese mayonnaise? What brand of mayonnaise do you like best?
What do you eat mayonnaise on?