It’s weird how the mind remembers the silly details. I still can’t remember the colour of my wife’s eyes, but I can remember that we were arguing about mayonnaise. ~ Shoal: A Thanet Writers Anthology
Survey results
Clearly, I am some sort of masochist. I know this, since I once again sought to confirm my pre-conceived notions with a survey. Granted, I didn’t have an actuarially sound number of entries, but still. For those of you who didn’t see the survey, I simply asked the question, “Do you prefer Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise?” I thought the response would be deafening. Not.
Survey said (use your Richard Dawson voice): nothing definitive. Well, perhaps it said that some of my friends don’t make potato salad the way I do. As far as the numbers go, here it is:
- 55% – Mayonnaise
- 30% – Miracle Whip (and why do we capitalize that when we don’t capitalize mayonnaise? Sad, that.)
- 15% – Neither
My son likes Miracle Whip, but I wouldn’t have guessed that a third of the people I hang with eat that stuff. Really, people? Ok. I’ll move on. Sheesh.
Where it began
According to Taste of Home, mayonnaise was created hundreds of years before Miracle Whip was a tingle in the taste buds. It all started when a chef had the opportunity to make a special dish in celebration of a French victory over British forces. I know. So petty, but it brought us mayonnaise. The chef had to reverse-engineer something akin to cream, as there was none in the larder that day. He did, however, have oil and eggs.
Anyway, he had no way of knowing that his concoction, with the addition of lemon juice (or vinegar in some recipes) would stand the test of time. Indeed, as reported by Statistica, mayonnaise was the 2021 top-selling condiment in the U.S. at $164,000,000.
A Southern Living article tells us that Miracle Whip was created in 1933 by Kraft. That organization wanted to provide a less expensive alternative to mayonnaise for cash-strapped consumers. (Completely altruistic, I’m sure.)
What's the difference?
The bottom line is that Miracle Whip has less oil and more sugar. Pick your poison. In fairness, it also has spices–paprika and garlic in one recipe I found, and dry mustard in another.
While cost may have been a factor 90 years ago, that chicken has flown the coop. One big-box store currently has mayonnaise priced at 20 cents less a quart than Miracle Whip.
So we’re left with a matter of taste. It’s subjective for sandwiches, but some recipes, according to Taste of Home, are better off with Miracle Whip when you want a sweet, spicy flavor. Don’t use it for any cooking or baking, though. It might separate. One specific instance referenced was for grilled cheese sandwiches. I can’t say I’ve observed those made with any condiment other than butter (does that qualify?), but I have a lot to learn. Do some of you really think that adding even more fat and goo to a cheese sandwich is a good idea? I would say that you’re strange, but I eat grilled cheese with a fork, so clearly I’m not in a position to judge.
Fun facts & conclusions
In a blog a few months ago, I mentioned that surveys can lead you to erroneous conclusions. I still believe that. For example, the survey only asked whether respondents used Miracle Whip or mayonnaise, though it did give neither as an option. There was no opportunity for broader feedback, such as, “My spouse always buys X and it’s better not to comment” or “Miracle Whip is cheaper, right?” or “I use one on sandwiches and the other to make potato salad.” So there’s that.
Also, I mentioned that my survey wasn’t actuarially-sound, but I did not mention the specific degree to which it was not credible. I had fewer than three dozen answers, and that’s less than meaningful when you consider that almost 277 million people used either mayonnaise or Miracle Whip in 2020 – and that’s just in the U.S. Plus, I didn’t even get into the Hellman’s vs. Duke controversy. I’m sure some folks have strong feelings about one or the other. I have never tried Duke’s (forgive me, Allison) and I’m guessing some people haven’t tried one or the other of the two at all. That would skew the results.
Don’t trust surveys. On to stuff you might not know:
- Usage of each product. Earlier I mentioned the gargantuan number of dollars spent on mayonnaise. I wasn’t able to locate an equivalent report on Miracle Whip. However, Statistica indicates that the usage of Miracle Whip outpaces the usage of mayonnaise by more than 20%, assuming my math is right.
- Kraft Miracle Whip was purchased by a German company in 1972 and is made by Mondolēz International. In Germany, apparently. Who knew?
- Miracle Whip is labeled as a salad dressing because it lacks a sufficient quantity of fat to be called mayonnaise.
- Lady Gaga included Miracle Whip in a music video for her song, Telephone. For a price, of course.
You have probably decided I am a mayonnaise fan. I am, but I will admit I haven’t yet given Miracle Whip a fair shot. It is clearly a competitor, at least in the U.S., and the next time I can try it again [for free], I will. 😉
You?
