Anna Walner, Kristina Matisic
What to Look For
Real Mayonnaise
To be officially labeled “mayonnaise” it must, by federal standards, contain at least 65% oil by weight. Anything else is an imposter and is usually referred to as a mayonnaise type dressing or a mayonnaise type spread, even the tofu “nayonnaise”.
Fat
Mayonnaise is not low in fat, but it does have less fat and calories than butter or margarine. And because it’s made with vegetable oil it is low in saturated fat. A tablespoon of mayo will give you about 100 calories and 12 grams of fat. There are even lower fat alternatives however: low-fat mayo, nayonnaise (which is actually a tofu product) or Miracle Whip dressing which doesn’t taste anything like mayo but some prefer it for it’s taste and for being lower in fat - only 33% fat.
Price
Believe it or not, this spread also has an extraordinarily large “spread” in price – up to a 400% spread! Prices will differ between the cheaper generic brand to the industry leading brand to the more expensive gourmet product. So be aware that you may just be paying for a name given the fact that the ingredients – if a real mayonnaise – are basically the same. That being said, it’s remarkable that even though the ingredients can’t vary much if at all, there can be big differences in taste. And, taste will likely be a larger deciding factor than price when it comes to choosing a mayonnaise.
Container
While the newer squeeze bottles may be convenient for dispensing, they can become a nuisance near the end of the bottle resulting in unnecessary waste. You’ll also pay more for the squeeze bottle – often the price appears to be the same, but you get less in the squeeze bottle than you do in the traditional glass jar.
What's Out There
Mayonnaise can be homemade which can make for an elegant gourmet dip or sauce. Or more common to the masses is a commercially prepared mayonnaise. The Shopping Bags learned to make a homemade style, but because of effort required in making it yourself and given the fact that it is only good for 3-4 days, we spent more time researching and tasting the store bought varieties.
Our Tests
For this taste test we called upon the real experts to distinguish between our mayos. Expert sandwich makers and a connoisseur of Belgian fries helped us out on our search for the yummiest mayo. We used fries as the vehicle for dipping in the mayonnaises – a great alternative to ketchup for those of you who haven’t tried it.
Hellmann’s Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
Cost: 25¢ per ounce
Kraft Light
Cost: 20¢ per ounce
Delouis Fils
Gourmet French import
Cost: 79¢ per ounce
Generic Grocery Store Brand
Cost: 19¢ per ounce
Miracle Whip
Not mayo but a lot of people use it the same way
Cost: 14¢ per ounce
We dipped away and there was no contest – the industry leader Hellmann’s was the clear winner for its rich tangy flavour and creamy texture. Kraft Light took second place even though it has a slightly blander taste (some testers said sometimes they feel like a lighter taste). The grocery brand had a very buttery taste and even though many use Miracle Whip like a mayonnaise it was too sweet and more like a dressing – it was our last choice.
After You Buy
Health
Even though mayo is high in fat it’s saturated and doesn’t have any hydrogenated oils which are the more unhealthy “trans” fats that can raise cholesterol. If you do choose a lighter variety sometimes the sodium content will increase to make up for taste, so if watching your salt intake is important the lower fat option may not be a good one. Check and compare the labels.
Storage
You can store your unopened store bought mayonnaise at room temperature but once opened it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. It’s recommended you use it within 6 months after opening, but be sure to check the expiry date.
Thanks To Our Experts… Food scientist Mossimo Marcone helped us dissect mayonnaise for its ingredients and nutritional qualities. Chef Walter Messiah makes his own mayonnaise the authentic French way and taught us to do the same.
Originated in France, mayonnaise is a basic emulsion of a few simple ingredients: egg, vegetable oil, lemon juice or vinegar. It is a popular dip, dressing, and condiment used around the world, so popular that North Americans alone ate over 92 million pounds in 2002!