What is Japanese Mayonnaise?
Japanese mayonnaise is a similar to American mayonnaise and uses many of the same ingredients. However, the main distinctions are the use of egg yolks, instead of whole eggs, this gives the mayonnaise a thicker and creamier texture. Rice vinegar is used instead of distilled vinegar, adding another layer of flavor. Dashi powder or other mild seasonings may be added to enhance the flavor. Japanese mayonnaise is cream colored, thick and tastes slightly sweet. Japanese mayo is used on sushi and many other dishes.
What does Japanese Mayonnaise Taste Like?
Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
Sweet is one of the five main tastes. It has smooth and round notes in its flavor profile. Sweet is a naturally occurring flavor in many foods, including fruits, berries, winter squashes, sugarcane, and honey. The sweet taste in these foods is due to a higher sugar content. Sweetness is characteristic of desserts and is used as an accent in savory foods.
Ingredients
Canola oil is a popular and readily available oil in America, due to its inexpensive price and neutral flavor. Canola oil comes from the rapeseed plant, the oil is pressed from the seeds and has a yellow color. It is a thin oil that is best for medium high heat, such as sautéing, though is commonly used for deep frying. Canola can be found in baked good, salad dressings, and a vast variety of food products.
Egg yolks are the small round and bright golden colored center of the egg. Some yolks may be a paler yellow, while others are almost orange, this has to to do with the diet of the hen who laid the egg. The egg yolk is surrounded by the egg white and holds its shape until punctured. The yolk is viscous and runny with a shiny quality. Once cooked the sheen disappears. Egg yolks taste somewhat sulfurous and mild.
Rice vinegar is sometimes confused with rice wine vinegar and while both are made from fermented rice, each is different. Rice vinegar is made by fermenting the sugars in rice and then turning it into an acid. Rice vinegar is more delicate than other vinegars, such as white or red. The flavor of this pale yellow liquid is tangy, sweet and mild. It is used as a seasonings in some East Asian cuisines.
Lemon juice is made from the flesh of the pulpy yellow lemon fruit. The juice is squeezed from the flesh of the lemon and is a pale yellow color. The flavor is very sour and bright. Lemon juice is used in multiple cuisines around the world to brighten and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. Lemon juice is used to make lemonade and goes well on fish. It has many uses.
Dijon is a French city from which this popular mustard originated. In the Middle Ages this area of France was known for mustard making. Dijon is now produced in many countries and has a muted yellowy/beige color. It is a smooth textured mustard, without whole mustard seeds and has a robust flavor that is strong, with a good heat and a hint of pungency. Mustard is spread onto sandwiches, used in sauces and has a number of delicious applications.
Sugar comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sugar is extracted from the juice of both plants and refined into the granulated substance known as sugar. Sucrose, the sweet substance of sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. White sugar is composed of tiny white, dry granules. The flavor is sweet and neutral. Brown sugar is brown and has more moisture, with a richer flavor that hints at molasses. Sugar is used in both sweet and savory foods.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Dashi powder is made from bonito flakes, which are small tissue paper thin flakes of dried skipjack tuna. It can also be made from kombu seaweed or sardines. Sometimes all three ingredients are used. The powder is made from any or all items. The powder is often a tan/beige color and looks more like granules than fine powder. The flavor is salty, fishy, and richly umami. Dashi powder is used to make a quick broth for Japanese dishes, in place of homemade dashi broth.
