The History of Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is everywhere today—slathered on sandwiches, mixed into salads, and served alongside fries in Europe. But this creamy, eggy emulsion has a surprisingly contested history. Multiple countries claim to have invented it, and the true origin remains debated among food historians. What we know for certain is that mayo evolved from Mediterranean aioli traditions and became a global phenomenon through French refinement and American mass production.

The Duke of Richelieu Legend (1756)

The most famous origin story dates to April 18, 1756, during the Seven Years' War. Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, led French forces in capturing Port Mahon (Maó) on the Spanish island of Menorca from the British. According to legend, the Duke's chef needed to prepare a victory feast but found the island lacked cream for the traditional sauce.

Improvising with local ingredients—eggs and olive oil—the chef created a new emulsion. He named it "mahonnaise" after the port city where it was invented. Some versions of the story claim the chef discovered local Menorcans already eating a similar sauce called "salsa mahonesa" and brought the recipe back to France, where it became fashionable in aristocratic circles.

The Spanish Aioli Connection

A competing theory suggests mayo descended directly from aioli (all-i-oli in Catalan, meaning "garlic and oil"), a Mediterranean sauce dating back to at least the 14th century. The Llibre de Sent Soví, a Catalan cookbook from the 1300s, contains recipes for garlic-and-oil emulsions that resemble primitive aioli.

Traditional aioli uses garlic, olive oil, and sometimes egg yolks, pounded together in a mortar until thick and creamy. The technique of emulsifying oil drop by drop into egg yolk was well-known in Mediterranean cooking long before the Duke of Richelieu's victory. Some historians argue that "mayonnaise" is simply aioli without the garlic, adapted and refined by French cooks who preferred milder flavors.

The Name Debate: Mahonnaise vs. Bayonnaise

The etymology of "mayonnaise" is disputed. Beyond the Port Mahon theory, another origin suggests the name comes from "bayonnaise," referencing the French city of Bayonne, known for its culinary traditions. A 17th-century French sauce called "bayonnaise" appears in some texts, though its ingredients and relationship to modern mayo remain unclear.

Others propose the name derives from the Old French word "moyeu" (egg yolk) or from the verb "manier" (to stir or handle). Linguistic evidence is inconclusive, and the Port Mahon story remains the most popular, even if it can't be definitively proven.

French Refinement and Culinary Prestige

Regardless of origin, mayonnaise became synonymous with French haute cuisine by the late 18th century. The first clear written recipe for "mayonnaise" appeared in French cookbooks in the 1800s, describing the careful emulsification of egg yolks, oil, vinegar, and seasonings. French chefs standardized the technique and elevated mayo to a refined condiment used in elaborate dishes.

Marie-Antoine Carême, the legendary French chef who codified classical cooking in the early 19th century, included mayonnaise in his repertoire of mother sauces. His recipes emphasized precision: adding oil too quickly would break the emulsion, resulting in a separated, oily mess instead of creamy perfection.

American Mass Production: Hellmann's Revolution

Mayonnaise remained a luxury in America through the 1800s—time-consuming to make and prone to spoilage. That changed in 1905 when Richard Hellmann, a German immigrant running a delicatessen in New York City, began selling his wife's homemade mayonnaise. Customers loved it, and Hellmann marked the best batches with a blue ribbon, which became the brand's iconic symbol.

In 1912, Hellmann began mass-producing mayonnaise in glass jars, making it shelf-stable and affordable for ordinary households. Around the same time, Best Foods was producing mayo on the West Coast. In 1932, Best Foods acquired Hellmann's, but both brands retained their regional identities: Hellmann's east of the Rockies, Best Foods to the west. Both are now owned by Unilever and remain America's top-selling mayo brands.

The Science That Made Mayo Possible

Mayonnaise works because of emulsification, a process where two liquids that normally don't mix (oil and water) are forced into a stable blend. Egg yolks contain lecithin, a natural emulsifier with molecules that have one water-loving end and one fat-loving end. These molecules surround oil droplets, suspending them in the watery egg mixture.

The key to successful mayo is adding oil slowly while whisking vigorously. Add it too fast, and the emulsion breaks—oil and egg separate into a greasy, runny disaster. Add it gradually, and the lecithin molecules have time to coat each oil droplet, creating a thick, creamy texture. Acid (vinegar or lemon juice) stabilizes the emulsion and adds flavor, while mustard often serves as an additional emulsifier.

Global Variations

As mayonnaise spread worldwide, regional variations emerged:

• Japanese Kewpie Mayo (1925): Uses only egg yolks (no whites), rice vinegar, and MSG, creating a richer, tangier mayo than Western versions. It's ubiquitous in Japan, drizzled on okonomiyaki, sushi, and even pizza.
• British Salad Cream: Thinner and tangier than mayo, with more vinegar and less oil. Heinz introduced it in the 1920s, and it remains popular in the UK as a sandwich spread and chip dip.
• Latin American Mayo: Often includes lime juice for extra tang, and in Argentina and Peru, it's mixed with ketchup to create "salsa golf."

Mayo Today: From Luxury to Staple

In the span of 250 years, mayonnaise went from an obscure Mediterranean sauce to a French aristocratic delicacy to an American mass-market staple. Today, over 5 million jars of Hellmann's mayo are produced daily, and mayo is consumed on every continent. It's in potato salad, deviled eggs, coleslaw, sandwiches, and burger spreads.

Whether the Duke of Richelieu's chef truly invented it or whether it evolved naturally from Spanish aioli, the result is undeniable: mayonnaise conquered the world. And every time you spread it on a sandwich, you're participating in a culinary tradition that spans centuries and continents—one creamy, emulsified spoonful at a time.