Miracle Whip vs. Mayonnaise: Experts explain the difference

Recently, I told a friend that I was working on a story about mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. By mentioning Miracle Whip, she curled her nose and said, “Yuck!” Then she asked me, “What even is Miracle Whip? ”

This is not the only time I’ve seen this negative reaction to Miracle Whip – including those who have never tasted it and don’t even know what it is.

Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip look almost identical and sold side by side at the supermarket. So why are some people-inclusive mayo-lovers — so anti-miracle whip? Presumably it goes the other way around: There are people who love Miracle Whip and dislike mayo. So what is the real difference between the two and why do people have such strong feelings around them? Let’s dive in.

The difference between mayo and miracle whip

Mayo and Miracle Whip have quite a bit in common. While both homemade mayonnaise and store-bought mayo vary slightly in their ingredients, the two primary oil and egg yolks (or sometimes whole eggs) are. Mayo typically also contains an acid such as vinegar and/or lemon juice, salt and sometimes sugar and other spices.

To be labeled “mayonnaise”, the FDA requires a product to be an “emulsified semi-solid food” made of vegetable oil, a acidic ingredient (vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice are all allowed here) and an “egg-yolk containing ingredients” (liquid egg yolk, frozen egg surface, dried egg flower and different types of eggs). In addition, it should have no less than 65% vegetable oil.

Miracle Whip is a brand of creamy mayo-like spread introduced during the 1933 World Fair. Like Mayo, Miracle Whip Oil, an acid (vinegar) and eggs. It also contains corn syrup with high fructose, mustard, paprika, dried garlic and “spice.” Kraft-Heinz notices Miracle Whip as a “dressing”, but it is spreadable as Mayo.

For me, the most notable taste difference between Miracle Whip and most store -bought mayo is that Miracle Whip is sweeter.

In defense of miracle whip

I asked several food experts where they landed on the debate between Mayo and Miracle Whip, and I found fans of both.

Road on for Team Miracle Whip is Ann Taylor Pittman, a James Beard award-winning food author, recipe developer and cookbook writer — the latest is The global pantry cookbook, Medfalfalfalsen with Scott Mowbray.

“I grew up eating Miracle Whip as our house ‘Mayo’ and always connects it with Cold him -Sandwich packed in a cooler for road trips,” says Pittman, who was born in and grew up in Mississippi and now lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Well, that and the can of pear ‘salad’ my grandmother would do by dolling miracle whip into a pear half and topped with a maraschino cherry.”

Pittman loves traditional mayonnaise, but for some recipes it should be Miracle Whip. “It has a sweeter flavor than mayo and is my go-to to Waldorf salad, any baking recipe (like chocolate cake) that requires mayonnaise or sandwich made with thick slices of residues of holiday gink,” she shared.

To praise for mayo

The way to Team Mayo is Breana Lai Killeen, a chef, recipe developer, dietitian and farmer at Kille Crossroads Farm in Vermont, who grew up in North Carolina.

“Let’s start with the fact that I have a lot of opinions about mayonnaise because I think it’s the best spice and I want to argue with someone,” Kille says. “Growing up in the South, there is only a type of mayo that has a cultural follow, and it’s Duke,” South Carolina Mayonnaise -brand made without added sugar, as opposed to Mayos made of power, Hellmann’s and Kewpie.

“But I’m Asian, so I also grew up eating a lot of Kewpie. My first restaurant job was in a place that made Pimiento cheese and deviled eggs, so it was my first taste of Hellmans. Rigist I never knew about Miracle Whip until I started working in a test kitchen where we had people from Midwest and Texas who grew up on Miracle Whip.”

“When you taste Miracle Whip vs. Mayo, the difference in taste is clear,” adds the gutter. “Mayo has more weight on your tongue and the miracle whip tastes sweeter. Since I’m always a tasty over sweet person, I always use Mayo.”

A case to just use what you like

For food author, recipe developer and the creator of the right recipes, Adam Dolge, is a prerequisite for Mayo nothing but a preference – not a moral attitude.

“I grew up in a mayo household, specifically Hellmann’s mayonnaise,” says Dolge from the Syracuse area of Upstate New York. “My mother put it on our sandwich, served it as a dip to toasted potatoes and swirled it into Pan sauces. I have happy memories of eating a sandwich with freshly picked tomatoes and a large smear of Mayo.”

“I have less comfortable memories of eating overly sweet tuna salat sandwiches and suffocating odd tasting coleslaw [that had Miracle Whip] at a mate’s house. But I have never really considered myself anti-miracle whip. “”

It took many years before I tried different brands of Mayo. Most recently after living in Birmingham, Alabama, I tried and grew to love Duke’s mayonnaise. It has a clear pliers, it is super creamy, and there is no hint of sweetness that is with Hellmann’s mayonnaise. I guess that when it comes to it, plain mayonnaise (any brand, really) will always be my preference. But that’s just a preference. I prefer less sweet, tangier -mayonnaise as opposed to a sweeter alternative like Miracle Whip. ”

The Kille agrees: “I feel like it’s about brand loyalty more than anything else with Mayo!”

Use what is best for the recipe (or you)

I grew up in North Carolina with a mother from Louisiana and a father from Michigan. We were a mayo household and used it on sandwiches, in salads and mixed with mustard to cut on burgers. I’ve been an effortless mayo -love all my life, but I wasn’t sure if I had eaten Miracle Whip.

So I got myself a jar and tasted it side by side with Mayos from Hellmans, Sir Kensington’s and Kewpie. And here’s the thing – they all tasted good!

Miracle Whip is sweeter than other mayos, like Kewpie, so – like Pittman – I think it’s best for sweeter dishes, such as Macaroni salad or maybe a blt. I also tried it swirled into sweet-and-spiced sriracha and appeared on tomatoes, which was delicious. I butter combo on salmon and rice bowls, french fries and sandwiches next.

Takeaway

Whether you were raised on mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, it is worth putting aside fire loyalty and trying the other spread. There is room in my heart for both Mayo and Miracle Whip – even though my fridge gets a little tight with all spices.