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food

We try a new way of using mayonnaise from a Japanese recipe

12 Comments
By Mujo, grape Japan

For those living in Japan or well-acquainted with Japanese cuisine, it may not be surprising to find out that Japan ranks 11th among countries that consume the most mayonnaise.

Besides the usual egg salad and potato salad recipes, Japanese enjoy mayo in a variety of ways.

As a flavorful sauce for fried shrimp mayo and chicken nanban, and as a topping for well-known dishes like takoyaki and okonomiyaki.

okonomiyaki.jpg
Photo: "お好み焼き Okonomiyaki" by jetalone is licensed with CC BY 2.0.

And as you may all well know, mayonnaise is also a common topping for pizza…for better or for worse.

To each his own right? I for one don’t mind mayo and corn on my pizza, though I also think Hawaiian pizza is delicious so pardon me.

Using Mayo for…Whaat?!

One writer at our Japanese sister site Grape found a new way to enjoy mayonnaise.

The writer tested out three special ingredients often found added to pancakes to improve their texture: carbonated water, yogurt and mayonnaise.

3.ingredients.jpg
Photo: Grape

According to the original article, the writer concluded that adding mayonnaise to the pancake batter resulted in fluffier pancakes.

mayo.cake_.jpg
Photo: Grape

"Mayo was the last variation tested, after carbonated water and yogurt, so the pan was too hot and the pancakes were burned, but the dough is thick and fluffier than I had imagined. If only I hadn’t burnt it. The texture is a little heavier than the soda version. I thought it would taste more like mayonnaise, but it takes like a normal pancake.

"Surprisingly, the mayo pancakes came out on top in terms of fluffiness."

I’m glad to hear that the pancakes didn’t taste like mayo and that mayo wasn’t added as a topping.

I’ve tried using mayonnaise instead of butter when making grilled cheese and thought I could taste the difference, but maybe that’s because it was heated directly.

There are many cafes here in Japan that tout their fluffy pancakes so now I wonder if mayonnaise has been their secret ingredient all along…

I may be following up on this article with my findings, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, I hope everyone continues to enjoy their pancakes, with or without mayonnaise.

hotcake.jpg
Photo: "ホットケーキ" by ume-y is licensed with CC BY 2.0.

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© grape Japan

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

12 Comments
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Testing of 3 variants and results in the same day? That’s really quick!

“The writer tested out three special ingredients often found added to pancakes to improve their texture: carbonated water, yogurt and mayonnaise.” -

Refreshing to see some face-paced ‘scientific’ work is being done in Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No thanks. I make my own mayo, catsup, and mustard. No high fructose corm syrup then. Japanese condiments are FAR TOO sweet.

There are no sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup in Japanese mayonnaise.

Japanese mayonnaise contains eggs (with yolks, which is different than western mayonnaise), vinegar and salt. That's it. No artificial ingredients or preservatives at all.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

BTW I think okonomiyaki is a total mess

Where TH have you been getting your okonomiyaki?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan ranks 11th among countries that consume the most mayonnaise.

Only 11th? I would've thought they were higher on the list.

I'm also surprised that the US and France aren't in the top 10.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you think about it, mayonnaise is full of fat, eggs and sugar - precisely the things you need for cakes and pancakes.

BTW I think okonomiyaki is a total mess

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No thanks. I make my own mayo, catsup, and mustard. No high fructose corm syrup then. Japanese condiments are FAR TOO sweet.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's not just Japan. We bring big restaurant sized jars of mayo with us when we visit our family in China.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I use Kewpie and wasabi when I make mashed potatoes. Smooth with a bit if tang.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ewww, NO!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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