~ Spreads go Bread to Bread: Hellmann's vs Duke's ~

Mayonnaise.  As a gal who loves deli-, tuna- and egg-salad sandwiches, I am never too far from my mayo.  During the picnic and tailgate season, when side-dishes like macaroni salad, potato salad, cole slaw and deviled eggs reign supreme, I purchase bigger jars, in two-packs.  When our garden tomatoes are ripe, I could (and will) eat a freshly-picked sliced-tomato sandwich, on white bread, with a big slather of mayonnaise, every day.  There's more.  I can't imagine my life without mayonnaise-based tartar and remoulade sauces in it, or, oh my Thousand Islands salad dressing, and, I'm very proficient at making homemade mayonnaise ("mayo") from scratch too.

What's the difference between mayonnaise & salad dressing?

Long ago (way, way back in time) I decided I liked Hellmann's mayonnaise better than Kraft's, and, I prefer mayonnaise to its cousin: salad dressing (Miracle Whip).  In it's simplest form, non-commercially made mayonnaise is a thick, rich and creamy mixture made from the emulsion of raw egg yolks, lemon juice (or vinegar) and vegetable oil. In 1756, the French, under Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, doc de Richelieu, captured Mahón on the Spanish-held island of Minorca.  In honor of the victory, the duc's chef created a new dressing for his master:  "Mahónnaise". (Above photo is indeed homemade mayonnaise, made by me, in less than 5 minutes, in the food processor.)

In 1903, Richard Hellmann emigrated from Germany to New York City, where in 1904 he married Margaret Vossberg, whose parents owned a delicatessen.  In 1905 he opened his own deli on Columbus Avenue, where he developed the first ready-made mayonnaise. He complimentary served his condiment,  in small amounts, to all his customers.  It became so popular so fast, he was soon selling it in bulk to other stores, while constantly improving the recipe to lengthen the shelf life (to avoid spoilage).  In 1913, he built a factory and began selling mayonnaise under the name "Hellman's Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise".  In 1920, the New York Tribune asked chefs to rate commercial "salad dressing brands" and they unanimously voted Hellmans #1, which boosted sales and made Hellman's a staple in the American kitchen.

In 1933, Kraft foods, via inventor Charles Chapman, patented an emulsifying machine which allowed mayonnaise to be evenly blended with lesser expensive brands of commercial mayonnaise and more than 20 different spices, plus, sugar. The result was Miracle Whip, which made its debut at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, promising to create "salad miracles with Miracle Whip Salad Dressing".  Their "whip" was an instant success.  To make a long story short, mayonnaise is mayonnaise -- salad dressing is a blend of mayonnaise plus other things.  From a side-by-side taste test standpoint, the most obvious difference between Kraft's Miracle Whip and all commercial brands of "mayo" is its sweetness.  Both high-fructose corn syrup and sugar are the fourth and fifth ingredients, respectively, on the back of a jar of Miracle Whip.

Mr. Hellman's mayo vs Mrs. Duke's mayo.  Both rich in history.

Before I delve into comparisons, which are going to leave one side or the other feeling slightly-slighted, it is worth noting that, up until recently (about three weeks recently), Duke's was not available us Yankees -- it was a "Southern thing" exclusively. That said,  I've heard enough about this iconic mayo from my Southern friends, to know enough pick up a jar the moment I came across it in one of our local grocery stores (coincidentally, shortly after Duke's started advertising on national TV -- which caught my attention and put me on the lookout for it).  I'm always open to conducting a taste test -- especially if it stands half a chance of rocking my food world.  

In 1917, Mrs. Eugenia Duke of Greenville, South Carolina, because of the need to supplement her husband's income, started selling sandwiches for ten cents a piece, slathered with her homemade mayonnaise, to soldiers at Camp Sevier (near Greenville) -- her selection included pimento cheese, egg- and chicken- salad.  By 1919 she was selling over 10,000 sandwiches a day, soldiers were writing to her asking for her recipe (so their mother's could duplicate it), and, local grocers were selling bottles of her mayonnaise on consignment.  In order to handle the volume, she moved her operation out of her kitchen into an out-building, and, bought a delivery truck.  She also set up a small shop in the Ottaray Hotel, in downtown Greenville, where she sold dainty tea sandwiches to "the upper crust".  In 1929 she sold her recipes to C.F. Sauer, who established the first Duke's mayonnaise factory and sent her product out into the world.  As Andrew Smart, the President of Duke Sandwich Co. said, "Here's a woman, in 1917, who was an entrepreneur and a business leader -- in a time when she didn't even have the right to vote."

Mayonnaise:  It's regional.  There's no right or wrong brand.

< The Hellmann's ingredients list is straightforward -- as straight forward as an ingredients list for mayonnaise can be.  When I make mayonnaise, I use vegetable oil, no water, egg yolks (no whites), fresh lemon juice (not concentrate), Dijon mustard (I prefer the tang of Dijon to vinegar), sugar, salt and a pinch of pepper.

< The Duke's ingredients list is straightforward though slightly different.  They use whole eggs (no extra egg yolks), water + two types of vinegar (no lemon juice), no sugar, and oleoresin paprika (a natural food coloring, not a flavoring, used in orange juice, snack foods, etc. -- one of the most unique uses for it is in chicken feed, in order to give the yolks in chicken eggs a darker yellow appearance).

Taste, texture & color.  Mel's conclusions revealed.

Allow me to start by saying:  I tasted both, side-by-side, before reading either ingredients labels. No surprise here:  these are two great-tasting mayonnaises.  In fact, they taste so similar, if you are adding them to a "concoction" (macaroni- potato- tuna- or egg- salads, etc.), no one could possibly detect which one is which.  While Hellman's contains sugar, it is by no means sweet or sweeter than Duke's.  In fact, the sugar enhances the lemony flavor, which appeals to me more than vinegar -- Hellman's wins on this point.  Let's talk texture.  If you're slathering them on a slice of your favorite bread, there is a luxurious creaminess to Duke's, which is more indicative of homemade hand-whisked mayonnaise, the texture of which I suspect is due to extra oil rather than protein-rich, yellow egg yolks (which I would prefer).  Hellmann's, while indeed creamy, is aerated and slightly-gelantenous (similar to a mousse in which whipped egg whites have been folded into yolks) -- Duke's wins on this point.  As for color, while Duke's palest-of-yellow color is more attractive, it is enhanced by food coloring, so, Hellman's wins by default on this last point.

Mayonnaise:  It's personal.  There's no right or wrong brand.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2017)

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~ Spreads go Bread to Bread: Hellmann's vs Duke's ~ - Kitchen Encounters

Comments

[KitchenEncounters]

That's fair Michael. We all have and are entitled to our favorites!

[Michael]

First things first. I like that Dokes has no added sugar. It also costs less than Hellmanns as well as Kraft, Blue Plate and even the private label store brands.
Last but not least DUKES is still 32 ounces where the others have been 30 ounces for years now. I would love to see Dukes go nationwide.

[KitchenEncounters]

Marsha -- Thank-you, thank-you and thank-you. That typo is almost impossible to catch even through two proofreads. I corrected it in the text/commentary. Have a wonderful day!!! ~ Melanie

[Marsha Pillow]

C.F. Bauer Is wrong. It is C. F. Sauer. A well known company in RIchmond VIRGINIA. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

[KitchenEncounters]

Hi Paul -- You and I would get along well in this food world. While I'm more of a mayo kinda gal, when I was growing up, my parents house only had Miracle Whip in the refrigerator. Like you, I have an appreciation for all three. ~ Melanie

[Paul H]

I like both too, I think Hellman’s and Duke’s are the best tasting store bought brands (sorry kraft), I usually buy what’s currently available between the two. I like Miracle Whip too, when it comes between Miracle Whip and Mayo it depends on what I’m in the mood for, sweet for Miracle Whip or salty for Mayo.

[KitchenEncounters]

Sharon -- You're obviously a Duke's fan. I like it too. That said, in the food world, oleoresin paprika is technically classified as a food coloring, and, in the cooking world, a pinch of sugar balances out the salt and brings up the flavor in almost everything. As I said, store-bought mayonnaise is personal -- there is no right or wrong answer. Thanks for the comment! ~ Melanie

[Sharon Maske]

There's no food coloring included in Duke's..unless you call paprika food coloring..and, NO SUGAR (preferred by those who don't want added sugar in their spreads.