Mayonnaise. History of appearance
AND Mayonnaise sauce, invented by the French, has become one of the most popular sauces in Europe and is present in almost all cuisines of the world, and in Russia it has become almost a national Russian product.
M Ionnaise is cold sauce, its main components are vegetable oil, egg yolks, vinegar, sugar and salt.
WITH There are several versions of the origin of both mayonnaise itself and the word “mayonnaise”.
P According to one version, the word "mayonnaise" comes from the old French "moyeu", which, among other meanings, meant "yolk". According to another version, this word is of geographical origin and comes from the name of the capital of the Spanish island of Menorca - the city of Mahon.
AND a couple of versions of creating mayonnaise sauce. The most popular version is considered to be the creation of mayonnaise in the 19th century in the city of Mahon, and there are at least two versions here too.
P About one of them, mayonnaise was created in 1757 during the capture of the city by the French under the leadership of the Duke de Richelieu, and forced to hold it after the siege by the British. Then, due to the scarcity of food, only olive oil and eggs - the resourceful cook ground fresh egg yolks with sugar and salt and gradually, adding in small portions and vigorously stirring each time until completely homogeneous, mixed everything with olive oil, then added to the mixture lemon juice and mixed everything thoroughly again. This is how a unique sauce was invented, with which even simple soldier’s bread became amazingly tasty. And the recipe of this unknown cook became classic recipe"Maonnaise sauce" (in French "mayonnaise") or "mayonnaise".
D Another version of the origin of mayonnaise is also associated with events in Mahon, but this time in 1782, when the city was conquered by the Spaniards, commanded by a Frenchman in the Spanish service, Duke Louis de Crillon, and for a large feast in honor of the victory, the Duke ordered the cooks to prepare something “very special”, which is what the unprecedented sauce became, made from the best Provençal olive oil, eggs and lemon juice with the addition of salt, sugar and red pepper.
P About the third version, mayonnaise originated from the “ali-oli” sauce (translated from Spanish as “garlic-and-butter”), known to the inhabitants of Southern Europe since time immemorial, and which has survived to this day under the name “aoli”. Virgil wrote about this seasoning...
TO be that as it may, and despite all the theoretical disputes about the origin of mayonnaise, at the end of the 18th century, the wonderful sauce firmly entered the menu of European aristocrats and became classic dressing for cold appetizers, although it was very expensive in those days. This was explained by the fact that the cooks who owned the recipe for making mayonnaise kept it a great secret, although preparing mayonnaise is not difficult, but it requires certain skills and knowledge of cooking technology.
IN At the beginning of the 19th century, chef Olivier from a family of famous French chefs invented a version of mayonnaise with the addition of mustard and small quantity some secret seasonings (the composition of these seasonings is now lost). Mustard gave mayonnaise a special spicy taste and, being a natural emulsifier, it greatly simplified its preparation and improved its shelf life. This is how a sharper mailnaise turned out, called “Provencal sauce from Mahon” - “Provencal” mayonnaise, or simply Provencal sauce.
AND It was the Provençal mayonnaise used by Lucien Olivier, a native of this family, who moved to Russia and became a famous Russian restaurateur, and provided the wonderful taste to the Olivier salad he invented.
N Despite the ease of preparation and the range of simple and accessible ingredients, mayonnaise has become one of the wonders of the world culinary arts. This is not only a highly nutritious product in itself, it also facilitates easy digestion of food taken with it and is an excellent seasoning for many dishes.
History of mayonnaise in Russia
P The country's food industry began producing mayonnaise in 1936 in Moscow. It was Provencal mayonnaise. It was produced at the Shelepikha production site, which later became part of the Moscow Fat Plant. The classic Provencal mayonnaise was even included in the food package issued with cards.
D Other types of mayonnaise began to be produced only in the post-war period. The recipe for “Spring” mayonnaise included the addition of dill oil; there were mayonnaises with other additives, mayonnaise with 30% tomato paste intended for fish and fish salads, with 20% grated horseradish - for cold meat dishes, with 25% finely chopped gherkins and capers - to fried meat, with 15% "Yuzhny" sauce - for meat and vegetable salads. Sugar-free mayonnaise was produced for diabetics.
P Later, as the chemical industry developed, Soviet mayonnaise began to lose its high quality due to the introduction of undesirable additives. Now Russian store-bought mayonnaise for the most part, they are only a “mayonnaise-like product,” since modern Russian GOSTs allow a product that is not one to be called mayonnaise. So, according to GOST, manufacturers can use a large selection of initial food products and chemicals, including low-quality vegetable oils, including rapeseed oil, soy products, chemical emulsifiers, starch and other ingredients that are not included in classic mayonnaise and its varieties.
U stricter requirements for the quality of mayonnaise GOST R 53590–2009, which came into force in 2012. According to this GOST, a product containing more than 50% fat and more than 1% egg powder can be called mayonnaise. Although this is far from the real classic mayonnaise sauce...
Making mayonnaise at home
N real classic sauce mayonnaise and Provencal mayonnaise can be easily prepared at home. The whole process, with some skill, takes no more than 8-10 minutes.
M Ionnaise is an emulsion of olive oil in raw egg yolk with a little salt, sugar, and lemon juice. It is allowed to add up to 0.5% dry finely ground spices ( nutmeg, red or black pepper, lemon zest). And nothing else, no water, no milk. Provencal mayonnaise contains mustard.
mayonnaise birthday
N
Despite the various versions and dates of the invention of mayonnaise, May 28, 1756 is considered the birthday of perhaps the most popular sauce.
E it is not the oldest sauce, but one of the few whose date of appearance, although controversial, has been determined. Therefore, in culinary calendars the day May 28 marked as Birthday of a wonderful mayonnaise sauce.
History of the origin of mayonnaise
Several plausible legends about the origin of mayonnaise have survived to this day. All of them are connected with the turbulent history of the 18th century. You can learn something about these times by watching films. "Holidays of Love", "Fanfan-Tulip", “Follow me, rascals!”, TV movie "Mikhailo Lomonosov". In these funny films, we will also get acquainted with the methods of active recruitment into the then army, very similar to those in Russia at the beginning of the third millennium.
The island of Menorca lies in the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the ancient city of Mahon (or Mayon). In the 18th century, continuous wars were fought between European rulers for this fertile land. It was in the midst of those battles that the history of mayonnaise sauce began.
First, in 1757, Mahon was captured by the French under the leadership of the Duke de Richelieu (a relative of the same Duke and Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis Richelieu, who lived from 1585 to 1642, who in “The Three Musketeers” besieged the Huguenot fortress of La Rochelle, which fell in 1628 , and in the siege of which the royal musketeer Rene Descartes actually took part). Soon the city was besieged by the British. Like his ancestor, Richelieu was determined to hold his position even under pain of starvation until the bitter end.
And the food supply in the besieged city was tight - only olive oil and turkey eggs remained. How much can you make from such a set? The garrison cooks, who themselves were tired of such a meager “menu,” tried to diversify it with all their might during the siege, experimenting as best they could, but the range of available products was too meager.
When the French garrison and Richelieu himself could no longer look at all sorts of omelettes and scrambled eggs, the Duke’s cook, who also showed extraordinary soldierly ingenuity, finally found great solution, which forever glorified him, but, unfortunately, did not preserve his name (in the difficult siege struggle, he forgot to name the sauce after himself).
So, this resourceful cook carefully ground fresh egg yolks with sugar and salt and gradually, adding in small portions and vigorously stirring each time until completely homogeneous, mixed everything with olive oil, then added lemon juice to the mixture and mixed everything thoroughly again. (This is the classic mayonnaise recipe.)
Even the simplest soldier’s bread with such an additive became amazingly tasty!
Richelieu and his soldiers were delighted. Victory over the enemy was assured! This is how a wonderful sauce appeared, later named after the besieged city - “Maon sauce” or “mayonnaise”.
A magnificent new seasoning has gained worldwide fame under the name "Provence sauce from Mahon", or simply "mayonnaise" in French.
Another version the origin of mayonnaise also tells us about the events in Mahon, this time in 1782. The city was then conquered by the Spaniards, commanded by a Frenchman in the Spanish service, Duke Louis de Crillon. This time, the reason for the invention of the sauce was not the scarcity of food, but its abundance. A great feast was given to celebrate the victory, and the Duke ordered the cooks to prepare something “very special.” And then an unprecedented sauce appeared on the banquet tables, made from the best Provençal olive oil, eggs and lemon juice with the addition of sugar, salt and red pepper.
This version is very doubtful, because... In a short time of preparation for a feast, it is simply impossible to make a fundamentally new invention in cooking, even “according to the boss’s order.” Any development of a new idea and bringing it to fruition requires a lot of time. All inventors know this.
But there is another hypothesis. She says that mayonnaise did not appear in Mahon, it has even deeper roots! Imagine, culinary experts tell us, would a person in his right mind just take olive oil and eggs and start mixing them, without even imagining what unexpected result he would get in the end? No, whoever the cook in the city of Mahon was, he probably relied on someone else's experience and knew what he was doing. However, who would doubt that a person, even if he is a cook, taking a step into the unknown, bases his actions on previous experience?
So the fact remains that before that time there was no mayonnaise sauce. Mayonnaise was invented by a French chef in Mahon, of course, relying on previously acquired culinary knowledge and experience.
Indeed, mayonnaise had a direct ancestor - spicy Spanish sauce "ali-oli", translated from Spanish as “garlic-and-butter.” It's a cool mixture of garlic, eggs and olive oil. Residents of Southern Europe have known and loved “ali-oli” since time immemorial. The ancient Roman poet Virgil wrote about such a seasoning. Under the name "aoli" this sauce has survived to this day. But this is not mayonnaise at all!
However, adherents of this hypothesis still want to be sure that the French nobles in the 18th century simply made public old recipe and gave him a French name. And then his fame spread throughout France.
In this version it is very difficult to explain why - if such wonderful recipe was created a long time ago - has it never been used before? And there can only be one explanation - because there was none.
But in any case, despite these theoretical disputes, it was at the end of the 18th century that the wonderful, previously unknown sauce firmly entered the menu of European aristocrats and became a classic dressing for cold appetizers.
In those days, mayonnaise was very expensive, because the cooks who owned the recipe for making mayonnaise kept it a big secret - although preparing mayonnaise is not difficult, it requires a certain skill and knowledge of cooking technology.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a cook from the family of famous French chefs Olivier invented a version of mayonnaise with the addition of mustard and a small amount of some secret seasonings (the composition of these seasonings is now lost). Mustard gave mayonnaise a special piquant taste and, being a natural emulsifier, greatly simplified its preparation and improved shelf life. This sauce is hotter than the one invented in Mahon classic mayonnaise , called “Provencal sauce from Mahon” - mayonnaise "Provencal"(Provencal sauce).
Later, a native of this family, Lucien Olivier, moved to live in Russia, where he became a famous Russian restaurateur. While working in Russia, he made an invaluable contribution to the creation of the richness and diversity of modern Russian cuisine, which has now absorbed and improved all the best from many national and court cuisines of the peoples of the world.
It was Provencal mayonnaise that provided the excellent taste of the Russian national salad "Olivier" invented by Lucien Olivier.
The real recipe for the famous Russian salad and the history of the Olivier restaurant in Russia, see p. .
About mayonnaise
Mayonnaise refers to cold “real” or “noble” sauces, i.e. to sauces, the most important components of which are butter and eggs, while flour is completely absent.
Mayonnaise is one of the wonders of world culinary art. Not only is it a highly nutritious product in itself, but, importantly, it facilitates easy digestion of the food taken with it. Therefore, it is quite rightly considered an indispensable seasoning for many dishes.
This french sauce has long become one of the three most important international seasonings: mustard(France), mayonnaise(Menorca, France), ketchup(created by the cooks of the English navy).
Chinese is now gradually becoming the fourth world seasoning soy sauce . Great seasoning "Russian table horseradish" the absolute instability in storage does not allow it to become a world seasoning - no more than 18 hours, and by and large - only 4-6 hours (recipe for Russian table horseradish, see below on this page).
Although everyone knows the name of the famous mayonnaise sauce, most people in Russia not only have not tried it, but have not even seen it.
Once seen and tried real mayonnaise, you will never confuse it with those milky-white industrial mash with the consistency of liquid sour cream, which are sold under the name “mayonnaise” in Russian stores for public consumption. All modern store-bought “mayonnaises” in the Russian Federation have nothing in common with mayonnaise, either in composition or in appearance, nor, especially, according to taste, that is, they are completely wrongfully called by the name of the famous sauce.
A real classic mayonnaise sauce (mayonnaise base) is an emulsion of olive oil in raw egg yolk with small additions of sugar, salt and lemon juice.
It is possible to add up to 0.5% of various dry finely ground spices - red or black pepper, nutmeg, lemon zest, etc. to taste. And there should be nothing more! No water, no milk!
(For comparison, look at the composition of modern Russian industrial “mayonnaises” indicated on the packaging and keep in mind that not all contents are indicated on them - food manufacturers always .)
Mayonnaise Provencal It also contains ready-made mustard.
Mayonnaise sauce looks like translucent light honey color, It has delicate jelly-like consistency And subtle refined taste.
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On the picture: ready-made mayonnaise, lightly stirred with a mixer for clarity. |
Mayonnaise is not intended for long-term storage (in the refrigerator no more than 3-5 days, but it is better to serve immediately), because Gradually, but quite quickly, it loses its excellent taste (although it does not become toxic) due to changes in the raw yolk included in the composition. That’s why you can try it either if you have a personal chef, or in a very good Russian restaurant for certain categories of visitors (see below for details), or by cooking it yourself at home without any hassle.
The mayonnaise base contains (variations to taste):
70 to 84% of the best olive oil (i.e. it may have more or less fresh yolk),
10-15% yolk (you can even increase it to 20-25%, but then the mayonnaise must either be served immediately or used within 24 hours!),
2-3% sugar (preferably fructose),
1-1.5% salt,
up to 5-6% freshly squeezed lemon juice (in as a last resort- solution citric acid or unflavored 9% vinegar, preferably alcohol vinegar),
Small additions of up to 0.5% of various dry ground spices are possible to suit the taste of this dish.
And up to 6% of finished mustard in Provencal mayonnaise.
AND NOTHING ELSE.
The more yolk there is in mayonnaise (up to a certain limit), the tastier it is and the faster it loses its great taste during storage. But if the oil content is below 70%, mayonnaise will not work - this is limited maximum content fresh yolk, taking into account the percentage of content and other ingredients (sugar, salt and lemon juice).
Some variations of the components are possible in terms of the butter-yolk ratio, the content of sugar, salt, lemon juice and various spices (up to 0.5%) at the responsible choice of the cook, depending on the dishes to which this mayonnaise is assigned. In mayonnaise-Provencal - more often used for fatty meats and some vegetable dishes- add up to 6% of finished mustard. No water or milk is added to real mayonnaise.
IN classic mayonnaise sauce(it is also called mayonnaise base, or basic table mayonnaise) you can, if desired, immediately before serving, add a variety of ingredients suitable for various dishes additives (which will be discussed below). Additives can also be added to more acute mayonnaise provencal.
The mayonnaise emulsion is unstable at elevated temperatures (above 45 degrees Celsius) and, when heated, easily breaks down into pure vegetable oil with small, clearly visible droplet-shaped inclusions of other products included in the composition.
Based on this way to check the quality of mayonnaise: Place a tablespoon of mayonnaise in a frying pan and heat it up a little.
If the mayonnaise is benign, the emulsion will disintegrate, and in the frying pan you will get almost pure oil, on which you can fry any food until browned.
In case of surrogate mayonnaise a sizzling and gurgling milky-white mass is formed in the frying pan, reminiscent of semolina porridge, or no visible signs of separated oil at all, or with scanty individual oil drops. With further heating, this mass quickly burns with the characteristic smell of burnt semolina porridge.
This makes it clear that there is no point in using real mayonnaise for baking foods. You can bake it with flour sauces or sour cream. All culinary recipes, in which mayonnaise is recommended for baking, are designed specifically for industrial mayonnaise, which is flour sauce imitating sour cream with vegetable oils.
Of course, for any restaurant, cafe or canteen, preparing real mayonnaise will not be difficult. But then the majority of Russians, accustomed only to a surrogate, will not understand what it is, and misunderstandings will begin. And everyone will have to carefully explain what exactly this and there is real mayonnaise. The waiters simply do not have enough energy or time for such “lectures”. In public catering, it is easier and more reliable to use the counterfeit goods from the store that are familiar to Russians.
Mayonnaise is one of the noble sauces, that is, sauces based on eggs and butter, and in which there is no flour at all. Well, the favorite sauce of the inhabitants of our country has become light hand Comrade Stalin. When the production of Provencal mayonnaise began in Moscow in 1936, he was given a batch of the new sauce to try.
The country's top leadership liked it, and they began to include it in food packages issued in those years using cards. And since then, the classic “Provencal” has become the most favorite mayonnaise among Russians, in addition, for a long time it was the only mayonnaise in the country.
2) Once you enjoy homemade mayonnaise, you will never want to go back to store-bought products of this kind. (Of course, you can make an exception for natural organic mayonnaise.) It is very easy to prepare, the main thing is to master the technology. An added bonus is that when you make it yourself, you can vary the flavorings.
How to make mayonnaise at home (1)
So, if you are going to make mayonnaise, you need a tall, narrow container to mix the ingredients.
* 2 egg yolks or one whole egg
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice or natural white vinegar(or a combination of both)
* 1 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, mustard (ready mustard, not dry)
* pinch of pepper
Place these ingredients in a jar and whisk them together. (If you're a fan of a sweeter sauce, you can add a little brown sugar.)
As you whisk, start pouring half a liter of unrefined vegetable oil into the jar in a very thin stream.
Once you're done adding the oil, it's ready. Place it in a container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator.
A few words about eggs. Some people are nervous about raw eggs. But mayonnaise always contains raw eggs, just make sure you use fresh, uncracked eggs and wash them well before cooking.
Now about the oil. Experiment with various types oils are a gourmet affair. A proven option is olive oil, which has an optimal ratio of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Vinegar or lemon juice, or a combination of both, can also affect the taste of your mayonnaise. If you like a less harsh taste, use lemon juice exclusively. You can also try adding different seasonings such as paprika or tarragon.
There are many, even homemade mayonnaise, not worth it. This dish is not an everyday dish, but rather a festive one. But if you prepare it yourself, you will know for sure that there are no preservatives, no artificial flavors with dyes, no trans fats, which have such a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system.
How to make mayonnaise at home (2)
The word “sauce” usually refers to some kind of thick, aromatic seasoning for a hot dish. Sour cream, mushroom, garlic. But the words “mayonnaise” and “sauce” are somehow not identified. Maybe the whole point is that out of habit we buy this product in a store, pour it into a dish, and it doesn’t even occur to us how quickly and easily we can make this sauce at home. And the result will surprise you to the core! It's so delicious! By the way, culinary specialists claim that most people not only have not eaten real mayonnaise, but have not even seen it.
Let's try to figure out what the classic recipe should consist of.
1. Oil. Mayonnaise contains about 70% vegetable oil. It is preferable to use the best refined olive oil - and then mayonnaise is suitable for all cases. If you use any other vegetable oil, it should only be refined, but mayonnaise will already lose in taste.
2. Raw eggs. The eggs should be fresh and the yolk should have a pleasant bright color. Waterfowl eggs are not used (God forbid they become infected - they need to be boiled before use, but this is not suitable for us). The eggs should be carefully broken into a cup, inspected, sniffed, and then the yolks carefully separated. From the remaining whites you can fry an omelet or make meringue.
3. Sugar and salt. Instead of sugar, it is better to use a natural substitute, such as fructose.
4. Lemon or vinegar. Freshly squeezed lemon juice should be used as an acidifier. As a last resort, you can use a solution of citric acid or table vinegar. Don't experiment with apple cider vinegar– the taste will not be so great.
5. Mustard. If you want to brag to your friends or family that you yourself have prepared not just mayonnaise, but “Provencal” mayonnaise, add regular table mustard or dry powder to the first one.
6. Additives. All kinds of spices, herbs, horseradish, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, capers, dill, onions, garlic, cheese, etc. can be used as additives, depending on how rich the imagination is.
And finally, the cooking process itself.
All components must be at the same temperature. Separate two yolks, take half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Put it all together and mix by hand (no need to use your hands - better use a whisk) clockwise (well, as a last resort, use a mixer) until the salt and sugar dissolve. Now the most important thing. Without stopping whisking, add vegetable oil a teaspoon at a time. For two yolks there is about a glass of butter. The sauce will be quite thick. If you want it thinner, add more oil. When all the oil is poured out, the sauce becomes homogeneous and yellowish in color. Now put a teaspoon of mustard and a tablespoon of lemon juice in it. Here it is - the familiar mayonnaise of the usual color. And the taste! Bliss!
Do you think that home option more expensive than store bought. Well, of course, if in order to save money you consume a dubious product for 10 rubles, I agree with you. But if you are used to buying something more expensive, compare the costs.
Salt, sugar, mustard are taken in such ridiculous quantities that they can be ignored. All that remains is lemon, 1 egg, a glass of vegetable oil (if you want olive oil, it will be more expensive, of course, and maybe very expensive, but this option can be reserved for receiving VIPs). So what happened, it was very expensive? 20 percent more than you would pay in the store.
Now compare the composition of your dish and the store-bought one. Read, read. Do you feel the difference? Will your body feel it? That's right, no preservatives, dyes or other rubbish. Besides the taste... The only problem. You can store homemade mayonnaise even in the refrigerator for no more than a week. But for some reason it seems to me that he will disappear from there much earlier. Enjoy your meal!
How to make mayonnaise at home (3)
No matter how strange it may sound, most of us have never tried mayonnaise. All mayonnaise sold in supermarkets has questionable taste qualities and are definitely harmful to health.
1. Beat the egg yolks with salt, sugar and mustard until homogeneous mass. You can beat during the entire process either with a food processor or mixer, or completely by hand - with a whisk, and the latter is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
2. Continuing to beat our mass, add vegetable oil in the thinnest stream or in very small portions. We make sure that the poured oil turns into a characteristic mass; if this does not happen, stop adding oil and continue whisking until this mass is obtained.
3. Add the juice of about half a lemon (to taste), and finally mix the finished mayonnaise by whisking.
Enjoy the natural product!
Aerobatics
When preparing, emulsify the mayonnaise by stirring in a circular motion, but do not beat. Small air bubbles will remain in the mayonnaise for the entire period of permissible storage, which will significantly reduce the shelf life due to increased oxidation. Good mayonnaise should not have any bubbles.
What to do if mayonnaise separates during cooking
Not often, but “accidents” do happen - the mayonnaise separates during the cooking process. Those. the mass turned out to be heterogeneous. What to do?
This happens mainly due to the use of unrefrigerated vegetable oil or adding it too intensively when whipping.
No problem. Let's start the procedure all over again; you will have to take a new egg yolk and start beating it, adding the “spoiled” mass a little at a time, then butter.
How to make mayonnaise at home (4)
Quite easy to prepare, for this you will need vegetable oil, eggs, mustard, lemon juice or vinegar, sugar and salt.
- It is best to take refined olive oil, then the mayonnaise will be especially tasty.
- Eggs must be fresh. By the way, what more eggs, the thicker and richer the mayonnaise will be.
- Lemon juice is necessary to add sourness to the sauce, although it can be replaced with vinegar, but then the taste of mayonnaise will become coarser.
- You need very little sugar; it can also be replaced with fructose.
- Also, a little salt, mustard and various spices are added to mayonnaise to taste: garlic, horseradish, dill, basil, cheese, onion, tarragon, etc.
What you need to make homemade mayonnaise
So, for cooking you will need
Historical description of the appearance of mayonnaise in the USSR
Mayonnaise is one of the noble sauces, that is, sauces based on eggs and butter, and in which there is no flour at all. Well, mayonnaise became the favorite sauce of the inhabitants of our country with the light hand of Comrade Stalin. When the production of Provencal mayonnaise began in Moscow in 1936, he was given a batch of the new sauce to try.
The country's top leadership liked mayonnaise, they began to include it in food packages issued in those years using cards. And since then, the classic “Provencal” has become the most favorite mayonnaise among Russians, in addition, for a long time it was the only mayonnaise in the country.
Mayonnaise is not a modern surrogate, as some believe, but an ancient French sauce. The encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, published in 1904, gave the following definition of mayonnaise: “Mayonnaise (French) is a sauce made from yolks, Provençal oil, vinegar, mustard and other cold fish and game." The term “mayonnaise” itself has a geographical origin and is most likely associated with the name of the city of Mahon, which is the capital of the island of Menorca, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea.
Almost all more or less plausible legends about the origin of mayonnaise are associated with the turbulent history of this city in the 18th century, when continuous wars were fought between European rulers for this fertile land. It was in the midst of those battles that the history of mayonnaise sauce began. In 1757, Mahon was captured by the French under the leadership of the Duke de Richelieu. Soon after this, the city was besieged by the British. Richelieu decided to hold the captured positions even under pain of starvation until the bitter end. But food supplies were tight in the besieged city; soon only olive oil and turkey eggs were left in stock. What can you cook from such a meager set of ingredients? When the French troops and Richelieu himself had already had their fill of all sorts of omelettes and scrambled eggs, the Duke’s cook suddenly had an idea. He thoroughly ground fresh egg yolks with sugar and salt and gradually, adding in small portions and vigorously stirring each time until completely homogeneous, mixed everything with olive oil, then added lemon juice to the mixture and mixed everything thoroughly again. Even ordinary black bread with such a sauce became amazingly tasty! The French army was delighted. I don’t know who won that war, but as a result, a wonderful sauce appeared, which was later named after the besieged city - “Maon sauce” or “mayonnaise.” (By the way, the French chef’s recipe is a classic recipe for mayonnaise.) According to another, very dubious version about the origin of mayonnaise, the city of Mahon also appears, this time in 1782. The city was now captured by the Spaniards, commanded by a Frenchman in the Spanish service, Duke Louis de Crillon. But this time the reason for the invention of mayonnaise was not a shortage, but rather an abundance of food. Louis de Crillon gave a big feast in honor of the victory, and in connection with this he ordered the cooks to prepare something unusual. And now, on the tables at which the feasters were sitting, a new sauce appeared, made from Provençal olive oil, eggs and lemon juice with the addition of sugar, salt and red pepper. According to a more prosaic version of the origin of mayonnaise, it was completely accidentally invented by a French chef living in Moscow.
Some even say that it was Olivier, the well-known author of another widespread iconic dish- Olivier salad. He, explaining to his student how to do mustard dressing said: “Take the yolks, grind them with mustard, salt and sugar, add a little Provençal oil and continue grinding; When you’ve poured in all the oil, add vinegar or lemon juice.” The punctual cook followed all the instructions of his teacher exactly, but when he brought him the dressing, it turned out to be not liquid, but a thick, sour cream-like mass. As it later turned out, the cook forgot to say that the yolks should be used not raw, but boiled. This somewhat unusual version also has a right to exist. But the most plausible hypothesis, in my opinion, says that mayonnaise did not appear at all in Mahon, and that it has even deeper roots. Well, what kind of person in his right mind would just take olive oil and eggs and start mixing them, without even imagining what he might end up with? Whoever was the chef in Mahon must have used someone else's experience and knew what he would get. Let's say that mayonnaise was invented by a French chef in Mahon, but he clearly relied on previously acquired culinary knowledge and experience. After all, mayonnaise has a direct ancestor. It's a spicy Spanish sauce called ali-oli, which translates to garlic-and-butter in Spanish. It contains garlic, eggs and olive oil. Residents of Southern Europe have been familiar with this sauce since time immemorial. The cook from Mahon probably knew him too. And the French nobles in the 18th century simply published an old recipe and called it French name. Despite all the theoretical disputes about the origin of mayonnaise, we can say with confidence that this wonderful and beloved sauce was added to the menu of European aristocrats at the end of the 18th century and became a classic dressing for cold dishes.
In those distant times, mayonnaise was very expensive, because the chefs who had the recipe for its preparation kept this recipe a big secret, because although preparing mayonnaise is not difficult, it still requires certain skills and knowledge of cooking technology.
Why shouldn't you eat factory-made mayonnaise?
1) It is harmful. Not even talking about trans fats or high content fat (although you should seriously limit the consumption of mayonnaise, if only because of these components), one can speak of an allergy provoked (especially in children) by preservatives and synthetic flavors, which are generously flavored with factory-made copies of this dish. All sauces can be made from scratch yourself. Including mayonnaise.
2) Once you enjoy homemade mayonnaise, you will never want to go back to store-bought products of this kind. (Of course, you can make an exception for natural organic mayonnaise.) It is very easy to prepare, the main thing is to master the technology. An added bonus is that when you make it yourself, you can vary the flavorings.
How to make mayonnaise at home
So, if you are going to make mayonnaise, you need a tall, narrow container to mix the ingredients.
* 2 egg yolks or one whole egg
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice or natural white vinegar (or a combination of both)
* 1 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, mustard (ready mustard, not dry)
* pinch of pepper
Place these ingredients in a jar and whisk them together. (If you're a fan of a sweeter sauce, you can add a little brown sugar.)
As you whisk, start pouring half a liter of unrefined vegetable oil into the jar in a very thin stream.
Once you finish adding the oil, the mayonnaise is ready. Place it in a container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator.
A few words about eggs. Some people are nervous about raw eggs. But mayonnaise always contains raw eggs, just make sure you use fresh, uncracked eggs and wash them well before cooking.
Now about the oil. Experimenting with different types of oils is a gourmet's business. A proven option is olive oil, which has an optimal ratio of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Vinegar or lemon juice, or a combination of both, can also affect the taste of your mayonnaise. If you like a less harsh taste, use lemon juice exclusively. You can also try adding different seasonings such as paprika or tarragon.
There is a lot of it, even homemade mayonnaise is not worth it. This dish is not an everyday dish, but rather a festive one. But if you prepare it yourself, you will know for sure that there are no preservatives, no artificial flavors with dyes, no trans fats, which have such a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system.
There are several versions of the invention of mayonnaise, mostly legendary and associated with significant historical events. One of the stories tells that the word “mayonnaise” is of geographical origin and is associated with the name of the city of Mahon, the capital of the Spanish island of Menorca.
As indicated in one of the French encyclopedic dictionaries, Mahon was conquered by the Duke of Richelieu. In 1758, the British laid siege to this city. The French ran out of food supplies, with the exception of eggs and olive oil. From these products, the cooks prepared scrambled eggs and omelettes, which the French officers were pretty tired of. Duke Richelieu ordered his cook to prepare some new dish. The resourceful cook beat the eggs with butter and seasoned the mixture with salt and spices. The sauce we liked was called “mayonnaise”, in honor of the city of Mahon.
In Menorca itself, mayonnaise is called salsa mahonesa (Mahon sauce). It is quite possible that this simple sauce originated independently in several places in the Mediterranean - where there was olive oil and eggs.
Who developed the recipe for the famous Provencal mayonnaise?
At the beginning of the 19th century, a cook from the family of famous French chefs Olivier invented a version of mayonnaise with the addition of mustard and a small amount of seasonings (the composition of these seasonings has been lost). Mustard gave mayonnaise a special piquant taste and, being a natural emulsifier, greatly simplified its preparation and improved shelf life. This sauce, spicier than the classic mayonnaise invented in Mahon, was called “Provencal sauce from Mahon” - “Provencal” mayonnaise.
Later, a native of this family, Lucien Olivier, moved to live in Russia, where he became a famous Russian restaurateur. It was Provencal mayonnaise that provided the excellent taste of the famous Olivier salad invented by Lucien. It must be said that original recipe mayonnaise is not suitable for long-term storage, and therefore industrial production a recipe also called "mayonnaise" was developed.
The production of the first Soviet mayonnaise “Provencal” began in Moscow in 1936. The new product was taken to Stalin for testing. The country's top leadership liked the mayonnaise, and it was even included in the food package issued with cards. The classic “Provencal” has since become the most favorite mayonnaise of Russians, and for a long time remained the only mayonnaise in the country.
What should be the recipe for classic Provençal?
It must be said that the recipe for the classic “Provencal”, familiar to consumers since Soviet times, has undergone significant changes. Unfortunately, most manufacturers who call their product “Provencal” use a different recipe.
This does not mean that the buyer receives a low-quality product, but the taste is very different from what was called mayonnaise in the USSR. The composition of Soviet mayonnaise included only the following natural ingredients: butter, egg yolk, vinegar, salt, sugar. The fat content of the product was 68%, whereas according to modern standards, the fat content of mayonnaise can be at least 50%. Products with lower fat content are classified as mayonnaise sauces. But the legislation does not stipulate which mayonnaise can belong to the “Provencal” category. Therefore, now such labels are more often a marketing ploy than the manufacturer’s desire to recreate the traditional recipe.
