What makes Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise so different from Hellmann's?
According to Amazon, Kewpie mayonnaise contains vegetable oil, egg yolk, vinegar, salt, MSG and spices (no sugar). Hellmann's (which I specify only because it seems like it's the 'canonical' American mayonnaise) contains soybean oil, water, whole eggs & egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, natural flavors and calcium disodium edta.
To me, the Kewpie mayonnaise seems sweeter, even though it doesn't contain sugar, and the Hellmann's does contain sugar. But that's not even the big difference to me. Somehow, the Kewpie is just "right" in sushi rolls and for just about every other application from that part of the word that benefits from mayonnaise. Yet, I find Kewpie just awful on a bologna sandwich. How are they so different?
If I make mayonnaise, the list of ingredients will look more like the Kewpie, but taste more like Hellmann's.
What gives?
Best Answer
OK, I did it. The rice vinegar was definitely the biggest difference. A pinch of MSG (Accent) sealed the deal. I found a recipe on Serious Eats. I tasted after every addition, saving the MSG for last. It wouldn't be as close having skipped anything that I used.
I didn't have real hon-dashi or Japanese mustard, but I had some instant miso soup powder and some Colman's mustard. It was close enough. I also used just rice vinegar, I didn't have any malt vinegar.
I don't have any real Kewpie to do a side by side comparison, but I can tell this is pretty close. It's definitely much closer to Kewpie than Hellmann's.
Everything that has been said here was right.
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Quick Answer about "What makes Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise so different from Hellmann's?"
The Kewpie is smoother, and slightly yellower than standard-issue Hellman's. That's because the Japanese stuff only uses egg yolks — Hellman's adds some whole eggs to its mix — which means it's slightly looser and closer in look and feel to homemade mayo.Is there a difference between Kewpie mayo and regular?
While American mayonnaise uses whole eggs, Kewpie mayo incorporates yolks and yolks alone for a yellow color, an almost custardy texture, and distinctly rich and fatty mouthfeel.What is so special about Kewpie mayo?
As chef and Momofuku founder David Chang once told Food & Wine, Kewpie is "the best mayonnaise in the world, because it has MSG." Kewpie is a little different than American mayo, because it's made with only egg yolks\u2014not whole eggs\u2014and with rice or apple vinegar and no added salt or sugar.What is the difference between Japanese mayo and regular mayo?
Japanese mayo uses only egg yolks to create a deeper yellow color and a custard-like texture that is smooth and luxurious, as opposed to regular American mayonnaise that uses whole eggs.Is Kewpie mayo the same as Japanese mayo?
In Japan, mayonnaise is made with only the yolks, as opposed to American mayonnaise which typically uses the whole egg. The egg yolks are what gives Kewpie mayonnaise its deeper yellow color and its fuller, almost custard-like texture. In addition to superior eggs, Kewpie also uses a different vinegar in its recipe.Mayonnaise Matchup: Kewpie vs. Hellman's
More answers regarding what makes Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise so different from Hellmann's?
Answer 2
Kewpie mayo contains MSG. This boosts the umami flavor. Perhaps you can approximate Kewpie in your homemade by playing with the addition of MSG.
Answer 3
I have used kelp stock powder (konbu dashi) to season a homemade mayo, which I thought made it taste a lot like kewpie.
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Images: Feng Zou, Ryutaro Tsukata, Teona Swift, Teona Swift