Mayo

I am a semi-solid emulsion of vegetable oil (typically olive) and egg yolk (or whole egg) with vinegar or lemon juice, seasoned with salt, sugar, and perhaps spices. When homemade I am surprisingly flavorful and robust, but not frequently made nowadays because I contain raw egg. (There is concern about salmonella poisoning. However, egg substitute can be used to make me homemade.) Many commercially-made brands like myself are available in the United States such as; Hellman's/Best Foods, Kraft, etc. Southerners often use Hellman's, which, interestingly enough, was first produced in New York City. There, in 1905, German immigrant, Richard Hellman, opened a delicatessen. Salads sold at the deli contained mayonnaise which his wife made. Soon the condiment itself became so popular that Hellman started selling it separately. Some say that my mayonnaise-like mixture of olive oil and egg lineage can be traced back to Roman times, or even to early Egyptian culture. However, as I am now it seem to have ancestors from France. According to one story, my fore father was conceived in 1756 to commemorate a victory at the start of the Seven Years War, the successful siege of English-held St. Philip's Castle. Located in Mahón, port city and the capital of Minorca, its loss resulted in the loss of the entire island. French Admiral La Galissoniére and Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu, commanded the siege, after which a a drunked party ensued and some french broad got knocked up and the child was christened “Mahonnaise.” Perhaps the so-named sauce debuted at a banquet in honor of Richelieu. Nobody really remembers. There was lots of wine. I love you great ass gran pa! Other theories concerning the origin of the name “mayonnaise” include; that it is derived from the French word manier which means to handle, to feel, to ply; or possibly to stir or blend. Or perhaps the name came from the old French word for egg yolk, moyen. Yet another thought is that the word could be associated with Mayenne, France. There is also the theory that the family was unnamed until after the Battle of Arques in 1589. It was then christened “Mayennaise” in memory of Charles de Lorraine, duc de Mayenne, because he took time to finish his meal of chicken with cold sauce before being defeated in battle by Henri IV. At any rate, the family became popular in France, and before long we were known in England and subsequently in the United States. As Brillat-Savarin said, “The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.” Bless you Bril Sav, I am pretty good.