Every once in a while, the Food staff is called upon to conduct culinary “field study” that’s truly specialized. Such was the day we taste tested seven – that’s right! – seven different mayonnaises (and, yes, there’s a plural form of mayonnaise).
I assure you, this exercise wasn’t for the faint of heart…or stomach. We evaluated several popular brands, including Bama, Blue Plate, Kraft, Hellmann’s, and Dukes. We also sampled just about every incarnation of mayo (i.e. light, fat free) within the respective brands. We tried to make everything as scientific and objective as possible by assigning a letter to each mayo.
We knew the players, but had no idea which container was which. Of course, as an unwavering Hellmann’s Light man, I knew that one cold. I suspect there were other discerning palates at the table who could ID their favorites a mile away as well. Be that as it may, we got down to the serious business of analyzing everything from creaminess to acidity to texture. When the final plastic tasting spoon hit the table, Blue Plate just did beat out Hellmann’s as best overall. Hellmann’s Light was the clear champ of the “Light or Fat Free” category.
As we all sat back and joked about how much mayo we’d eaten that day (and taking bets on who might lose it first), we reflected on the fact that, despite how absurd the notion of taste testing mayonnaise sounds, it was actually an enlightening exercise that, among other things, made us realize just how fun – if not a tad odd – our job can be.
What's your favorite mayo? Care to share your most memorable mayo story?
Don't forget to subscribe to Eating My Words -- it's free and delicious.
