This Ingredient Will Make Your Mayonnaise More Dipping.
Last week I was at the highly anticipated opening of Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Benjamin Amberg’s new bar, Pacific Standard . (If you’re a regular reader of this site, you might be familiar with some of Jeff’s hacks and recipes .) The place was beautiful, the drinks were good, and the food menu was filled with Jeffisms: American cheese on a burger, chips, and dips. (with the option of adding caviar ), chocolate chip cookies and artichoke with umami mayonnaise. Umami mayonnaise?
I have martinis, stuffed eggs and artichokes. I dipped the leaf in umami mayonnaise. As I suspected: this was done with the help of my good friend MSG. “Is there MSG in this mayonnaise?” I asked Jeff. He winked.
There was some MSG; on a scale from one dorito it was 3.75. People with a less tuned glutamate palate may not even notice it. But that made the mayonnaise so irresistible that I completely forgot about the garlic butter stew nestled next to it. It had a noticeably rich, slightly savory taste reminiscent of Kewpie, which makes sense because Kewpie mayonnaise has MSG in it. (Though you will see it listed as “yeast extract”, a natural source of MSG.)
You don’t have to have a fancy bar or even fancy artichokes to get your own umami mayonnaise. It would be possible to buy Kewpie, although something seems to be missing now (I blame TikTok). Luckily, making your own is easy: put some of your favorite mayonnaise in a bowl and add a pinch of monosodium glutamate. Mix and try. Once you get to this slightly spicy spot, you’re ready to start diving. Steamed and chilled (or fried) artichoke is a good dipper option, but french fries are more affordable and I wouldn’t overlook the humble potato chips. As with Doritos, MSG will keep you coming back for more (mayonnaise).
Update June 23, 2022 3:07 pm ET: Twenty-two minutes after this article appeared, Morgenthaler reached out to me to alert me to an additional ingredient in his umami mayon. “Just for your own edification, there is some soy sauce in the mayonnaise,” he wrote. “Highly recommend trying at home.”