Knowra Mayonnaise Mayonnaise Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy sauce formed by dispersing oil droplets in an aqueous mixture of egg yolk and acid. Egg yolk compounds help keep the emulsion stable.
Emulsion : A mixture in which droplets of one liquid are dispersed throughout another liquid that does not normally mix with it. Mayonnaise is an oil-in-water emulsion, with tiny oil droplets suspended in its watery phase.
Egg yolk : The nutrient-rich yellow portion of an egg, containing water, fats, proteins, and phospholipids. It supplies water and emulsifying compounds that help bind oil into the sauce.
Aioli : A garlic-flavored emulsion traditionally made by pounding garlic with oil, with regional recipes varying widely. Aioli shares mayonnaise’s creamy emulsion form but differs in traditional ingredients and preparation.
Hollandaise sauce : A warm emulsion of egg yolk and butter, commonly seasoned with lemon juice. Hollandaise uses melted butter and is served warm, unlike the oil-based cold mayonnaise.
Mahonnaise : An early name associated with mayonnaise in historical accounts of the sauce. The disputed naming history links the sauce’s name to this spelling.
Lecithin : A group of phospholipids that contains both water-attracting and fat-attracting regions. Egg-yolk lecithin helps coat oil droplets and limit their coalescence.
Vegetable oil : A fat-rich liquid extracted from plants and used in cooking. Oil is the dominant ingredient by volume and creates mayonnaise’s richness.
Tartar sauce : A cold sauce commonly made from mayonnaise, chopped pickles or capers, and seasonings. Mayonnaise provides the creamy base for this accompaniment to seafood.
Salad cream : A British cold condiment made from an emulsified mixture that is typically thinner and tangier than mayonnaise. Its thinner consistency and recipe distinguish it from conventional mayonnaise.
Duc de Richelieu : A French aristocrat and military commander who served as governor of Menorca in the eighteenth century. A popular origin story credits his forces with bringing the sauce to France after the 1756 capture of Mahón.
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