What Exactly Is Miracle Whip?
What Exactly Is Miracle Whip?
Miracle Whip may remind you of mayo, but it‘s not the same, according to the FDA.
You're viewing a single thread.
It’s mayonnaise that has been thinned with water to lower calorie content. To regain an appropriate texture they add mustard powder and modified cornstarch. To offset the “tang” from the vinegar and mustard powder they also add sugar (via high fructose corn syrup)
There is also the possibility that something within “natural flavors and spices” contributes to texture and mouthfeel but that is a mystery protected by vague labeling and valuing trade secrets over potential allergen information and properly informing consumers
As a result it is not mayonnaise but more akin to a salad dressing. Many salad dressings start out as a mayonnaise but we don’t call them that anymore once you add a bunch of nonsense that makes them taste wildly different
A more interesting question is why is kewpie so different from hellmans/dukes/insert other American mayo? They are all definitely mayonnaise. The short answer is that kewpie only uses egg yolks, rice vinegar, and adds msg and some spices (probably pepper and garlic), whereas American mayos tend to use whole eggs, white vinegar, and no msg or spices. Otherwise the ingredients are fairly similar (sugar, salt, oil)
It’s mayonnaise that has been thinned with water to lower calorie content.
No it's not. It's a bespoke product for "salads": macaroni salad, egg salad, potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, etc. The water is there to lighten the texture. No one making mac salad or any of the others is counting calories. An example of a similar product is Heinz Salad Cream.
Mustard powder for texture? There's more "natural flavor" (probably MSG) than mustard powder in Miracle Whip. It's for flavor.
Mustard powder absolutely acts as an emulsifier here. The mucilage is a polysaccharide which helps suspend the oil in low egg systems like miracle whip, but admittedly the cornstarch is doing more here
There is no direct msg in miracle whip, nor does it contain things like yeast extract or hydrolyzed proteins for natural glutamates to avoid labeling. At least in the USA these things cannot fall under the natural flavors loophole and msg must be labeled
It is an emulsion of eggs and oil (eg a mayonnaise) that is thinned with water and then thickened and flavored
mayonnaise that has been thinned with water to lower calorie content
To offset the “tang” from the vinegar and mustard powder they also add sugar (via high fructose corn syrup)
Pick one?