If you keep up with the blog, you know I’m devoted to Duke’s mayonnaise (although Carole H. suggested I try Sauers, made by the same company, and it’ll do in a pinch). But my friend Michael sent along this trivia about Hellmann’s I thought you might like to read:
Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.
The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.
Ha! Did I getcha? Happy Cinco de Mayo, and if you see my friend and coworker James Dowd today, tell him happy birthday.
Call it Other
Responses to “More on mayo”
May 5th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Here is some true trivia obtained from foodreference.com:
Richard Hellmann was a deli owner in New York City in the early years of the 20th century. He made his salads and sandwiches with his wife Nina’s mayonnaise. It was so popular, that he began selling it by the scoop, and then in bulk to other stores. In 1912 he built a factory for producing it in jars, and it was an immediate success. His Blue Ribbon mayonnaise in jars contributed greatly to the surge in popularity of cole slaw as a side dish.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I have noticed after MANY hours of watching Food TV that Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) only uses pints of Hellmann’s. I know she is always stressing freshness of ingredients, & that’s got to be pretty fresh. I have also noticed that she doesn’t cover the labels on her shows like some of the others. Has anyone ever read anything about that? She & Martha Stewart are always saying “best quality” for various ingredients. For Rachael Ray’s show, they even make up funny computer generated overlabeling for the cans & jars. She has commented that she gets inquiries about where to find the made-up brands. Sandra Lee covers over the name brands for her semi-homemade ingredients, altho you can mostly tell if you are familiar with the packaging what they are. Paula Deen usually has her ingredients already measured out so bottles & jars are rarely visible. But she calls out name brands sometimes (i.e., Texas Pete). She readily admits that mayonnaise is her favorite condiment.
May 5th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
What are differences between Duke’s and Hellman’s in taste/texture/mouthfeel?
May 5th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Bryce, it’s been so long since I’ve used Hellmann’s that I couldn’t make a fair assessment of the differences. I’ll buy some this week and will conduct a blind tasting. I know this: Duke’s is the closest you’ll find to homemade in the standard grocery. Lemony and sprightly (although there’s no lemon listed in the ingredients). Duke’s contains no sugar, and I’m sensitive to sweet flavors. Check back in a few days for the taste test!
May 5th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Jennifer, you got me!
You also sold me on Duke’s, I can’t stand added sugar in my mayo. Definitely going to try it next trip to the store.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Incidentally it’s not that difficult to make your own fresh. I have a recipe somewhere for garlic aioli that I break out once in a while.
May 6th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Jennifer - if you do a taste test, i’m also curious what the comparison is to Blue Plate.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I love Hellman’s, but now I know I’ve got to try Duke’s. I have been inclined to make my own mayonnaise using the recipe from Calvary Episcopal Church’s “Waffle Shop” cookbook. The mayo is pinkish in color owning to the paprika called for in the recipe, but there is nothing else that compares to the taste of it!
May 6th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
OK, Kate, we’ll add Blue Plate. My cooking group is getting together this weekend and there will be 10 of us, so we’ll taste and I’ll report the results on Sunday or Monday. Any other favorites?
May 13th, 2008 at 7:17 am
The closest to homemade I have ever tasted is Kewpie - available in Japanese food markets and used in most sushi restaurants.
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