1humblepalate
I recently got into a conversation online about a particular condiment that seems to not only divide households, but also countries.
Before you go judging, yes, I'm a member of some of these numerous Facebook “foodie” groups. There are some interesting things that are discussed and showcased, away from people trying to front recipes found on the internet as their own (changing the measurements from the imperial to the metric doesn't make the recipe yours @SuperFoodieMum25).
The conversation ended up pitting two mayonnaise brands against each other. Mayo is a treasured condiment in the house; you won't just find it lying anywhere. Some auntie has the key to the cupboard with the mayo. If it falls into the wrong hands, then well, eish, someone will have to answer to it. The green one and the red one (they're not paying me so I won't say who they are – you know how this goes) were being showcased with the former apparently being left for home use, while the green one is reserved for visitors. The comments made for some interesting reading with others going as far as stating that visitors don't deserve the more 'expensive mayo', it should be used only on Sundays and Christmas.
“You have money to even buy two different brands … tell us where you sold your toes”, and “Such evil, how can you leave that smelly thing for visitors”, were some of the comments.
Taste, longevity in the kitchen, price of product where all on the table for discussion with people falling on either side of the divide. I tried to switch on my research analyst hat that I earned from a few days at both Nust and Unam, but decided not to interpret the data conclusively in favour of one brand. So, I decided to throw a fox among the chickens and introduced, through my comments, the third option that had seemingly been forgotten; the blue brand. The results were nothing short of thrilling with questions coming asking what I did for a living to afford to buy the brand every month, which witch doctor did I consult etc.
Personally, I love it most and I will tell you why later when I do my own comparative (so you don't have to stress in the aisle anymore). The problem with the blue brand is that consumers shy away from it mainly because of misguided perceptions. Here are my conclusions from my indirect investigation.
Red Brand
Slightly chunky and thicker in consistency so would be great as a dip or on the side for stuff.
Try mixing it with paprika, mixed herbs, garlic powder and some chilli powder and you have revolutionised how the mayo would taste. You don't want to overdo it with this one
On Sandwich: *
As a Dip: *****
In a salad: *
Price: Cheaper than the rest by about N$2-N$3 (depending on where you look).
Green Brand
A bit smoother and slightly less chunky in consistency, which makes it ideal to mix into stuff. It's also diverse and out of the three options stands as the one with the widest range of application It doesn't clamp up and taste like a huge chunk of oil and eggs.
On a Sandwich: ***
As a Dip: ***
In a salad: *****
Price: Relative benchmark for the rest and most commonly bought brand in most households.
Blue Brand
The blue brand I would like to consider the Rolls Royce of the three, mainly because of what I use mayo a lot for: sandwiches. Mayo forms the foundational spread of 99,9% of all my sandwiches and I make a lot, like a whole lot of them!
On a Sandwich: *****
As a Dip: *
In a salad: ***
Price: Pricier than the rest by about N$5-N$7 (depending on where you look).
The green brand comes out strong when you look at an all-round performing mayo, topping the salad charts. The blue brand, although pricier, is incredible for spreading and is not too shabby in a salad. The cheapest option, the red brand, is not all crap and would work well as a dip for your fries or snacks. It's all in how you use your mayo.
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