PHOTO COURTESY OF BOWLOFDELICIOUS.COM

A photo of steamed broccoli with soy mayo dip.

No, Patrick, mayonnaise is not an instrument. But, it is the best condiment. 

Between ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, mayo is the most versatile and the best condiment of the trio; however, it is underappreciated and extremely over-hated.

Mayo can be put on hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, french fries and sandwiches. It’s also the main ingredient for many salads, dressings, homemade tartar sauce and many other meals.

I also enjoy putting mayonnaise on steamed broccoli, which is extremely controversial in all my friend groups. However, it just shows how versatile mayo is. My grandmother fondly referred to mayonnaise as “the poor man’s hollandaise,” a phrase that captures both its humble origins and its adaptability.

Mayonnaise comes from France, just like hollandaise sauce. However, mayo is cheaper and more accessible to everyday people, which is why my grandma coined the phrase when we’d put mayo on steamed broccoli. 

While many people’s gripe with mayo stems from the fact that it’s bland and doesn’t add anything to your food, that’s far from the truth. A 7-layer salad is but lettuce and dry ingredients without mayo to bring everything together. Without mayo on a BLT, it’s just a sad sandwich. 

Mayo on hot dogs and hamburgers is where the real debate comes in. I put mayo and ketchup on both, giving the cook out staples a nice blend of the ketchup’s bitterness and the mayonnaise’s creaminess. 

Mayonnaise offers creaminess that the other two “big three” condiments don’t. Ketchup is bitter and the juice is always running. Mustard is tangy, extremely pungent and my personal least favorite condiment.

Ketchup does have the redeeming value of being a great mixer for mayonnaise. On hot dogs and hamburgers, the combination provides a powerful flavor and texture blend. The mix is also great for dipping chicken nuggets and french fries.

Mayo is definitely the most overhated and, other than ranch dressing, the most versatile condiment there is. No other condiment can be on or in as many food items as mayonnaise. 

In short, let’s stop hopping on the mayo-hatred bandwagon and try things without knocking them first. And yes, I’m talking about steamed broccoli and mayonnaise.

Categories: Opinion