Let’s Talk About Mayonnaise

Being obsessed with American-style mayo can be a genuine struggle some days. Imagine being incapable of eating sandwiches like a regular Kiwi; gagging at any bite of a laced-with-butter sandwich. It sounds like a slice of heaven to so many people, but it’s something a few of us can’t get our heads (or, more honestly, our stomachs) around. We might even have strong opinions on which mayonnaise deserves our esteem. Basic sandwich ingredients need something more than the oppressive feeling butter provides, they need the richness and tang that only comes from mayonnaise. For me, mayo rules, and it’s fitting that my favourite has a royal name: Duke’s mayo is THE mayo.

It’s not uncommon to find branded, frayed hats or t-shirts in the wardrobes of Duke’s supporters. The bygone glass jars that Duke’s used to be sold in are often requested for charming and surprising uses like wedding centrepieces. I read of one elderly woman who requested three glass jars which the company sent; they would hold her ashes when she was cremated and be given to her three daughters.

Devotion in death. To a mayonnaise.

I’m not sure another mayonnaise brand has quite the same level of cult following as Duke’s. It’s the quality of the groupies that made me want to try it, not the numbers; it’s only the third most popular mayo in the US and could rarely be found outside the South for a long time. It barely exists anywhere else around the world so we can be thankful it’s easy to obtain in NZ.

I think a lot of the brand support has to do with this mayonnaise’s history. This tasty condiment was created by Eugenia Duke, a housewife living in South Carolina, in 1917.  She saw the chance to make some money off of her cooking skills so started selling these sandwiches to Army canteens during the war. The spread on the sandwiches was really the draw so she decided to bottle and sell this magic stuff. Eugenia made quite a few canny business decisions and she eventually sold the business when it became too big for her to manage.

Her story is a win for women and a win for sandwiches. What’s not to love?

And, it just tastes superior. There’s one ingredient that sets Duke’s mayo apart from all others: sugar. It doesn’t have any. The lack of natural or artificial sweeteners and balanced use of cider vinegar produces a tangy, sharp, eggy, flavour. A taste that’s not toned down the way other major brands can be. It’s a more traditional, homemade take on mayonnaise. There aren’t many culinary joys better than a ripe, summer tomato and Duke’s mayo sandwich. I don’t even particularly like tomatoes, this stuff is that good. (It might be a leap for you to take my word for it just in text, but there’s also the long-lived, highly-valued peanut butter and mayo on white bread sandwich that is not as you would imagine. It’s like sour peanut butter and it works. I promise. I know it’s possibly too early in our relationship for you to trust me though, so I’ll make you one in real life anytime. Anyways, keep reading…)

As mentioned, this mayonnaise makes the best sandwiches of your life. I’m prone to exaggeration, true, but Duke’s allows me to look forward to what would otherwise be humdrum protein-and-lettuce parcels. Where else does it shine? Well:

• Make a marinade using soy sauce, any herbs you enjoy, salt, pepper, and Duke’s mayo
• Generously brush mayo over grilled sweetcorn. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with lime
• Use as a dip for steamed artichokes
• Make pimento cheese dip then use it in this bacon, tomato grilled cheese
• In chocolate cake, like this recipe

That’s right, chocolate cake. The mayonnaise replaces eggs and fat (because it is eggs and fat) and vinegar often has a place in chocolate or red velvet cakes. It does make sense in theory and makes more sense in your mouth. The cake turns out moist, tender, more chocolatey.

The obsession is real and it’s perfectly okay to have strong opinions about mayonnaise.