The best mayonnaise? Hands down, it's Hellmann's

When we set out to choose the best mayonnaise, little did we know that our search would lead us to a trade association devoted to dressings and to uncover a British mayonnaise review comparing one brand of mayo to hemorrhoid cream. Nor did we expect that consumers would take their mayonnaise so seriously. But they do. We pored over several taste tests and reviews to choose the best mayonnaise. Read on for the results.

Southerners are particularly partial to mayonnaise, as Atlanta Journal-Constitution food writer John Kessler points out in a 2009 blog post. He assembles a team of six food experts for a blind taste test of five mayos, including two well-known regional brands, Duke's (from North Carolina) and Blue Plate (from Louisiana). They also sample two national brands, Kraft Real Mayonnaise and Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, as well as Kewpie, a Japanese mayo with something of a cult-like following (perhaps because it contains monosodium glutamate and uses rice vinegar, rather than distilled vinegar like American mayos), and Miracle Whip, which isn't a mayonnaise at all but is considered a salad dressing, because it doesn't contain egg yolks, a key mayo ingredient.

The best mayonnaise? It's Hellmann's

Kessler's panel picks Hellmann's  -- which consumers in the West know as Best Foods Real Mayonnaise -- as their favorite, praising it for having the "best all-around flavor." Miracle Whip, meanwhile, finishes dead last, panned as overly sweet and tart. What makes this review particularly interesting are the user comments; more than 150 readers chime in with their own recommendations. Many of them second the panel's findings, but there are plenty of Duke's fans, too, and a few partial to Blue Plate as well. (We also read several oddball reader recommendations for mayo, the strangest being a peanut butter, Miracle Whip and lettuce sandwich).

Southern Living, another publication that caters to life in the South, also reviews mayonnaise in a 2008 taste test that includes several of the same brands, including a few light versions. In this review, Blue Plate surpasses Hellmann's as the overall favorite, while Hellmann's Light is named the best light/fat-free mayo. This review isn't nearly as detailed as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's, however, and it's unclear what brands of light or fat-free mayo were compared to Hellmann's. 

The ever-reliable Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines also review regular and light mayonnaise, although their reviews were published back in 2003. Both publications put several mayos and dressings to the test, including several of the same brands that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Southern Living. Not surprisingly, their findings are similar. However, you'll need to be a subscriber to view the results of their tests.

Kraft Real Mayonnaise favored by some reviewers

Hellmann's isn't a consistent winner in taste tests, however. Kraft Real Mayonnaise is another reviewer favorite, finishing first in a 2006 taste test of six mayos at Fine Cooking magazine (the findings are reprinted at the blog Reluctant Gourmet). In that review, Kraft edges out Hellmann's for top honors, also surpassing Cains All Natural, Spectrum Organic, Whole Foods 365 and Gefen Kosher.

Kraft also finishes ahead of Hellmann's in a four-way mayonnaise taste test conducted in 2007 by the Canadian foodie website Shelf Life. But both of these mayos, favored by other major publications, finish behind the Japanese mayonnaise Kewpie and a Canadian brand, President's Choice.

Our opinion on the best mayonnaise

Hellmann's mayonnaise -- both the regular and light version -- is the clear favorite among reviewers. As an alternative, you might want to try Duke's if you live in the South (or have friends there who are willing to send some to you). If you're looking for mayo that doesn't taste like American mayonnaise, we found several online sources that recommend Kewpie, which is available at Amazon.com and specialty stores.

And just in case you want to learn even more about mayonnaise, The Learning Channel's website has a fascinating article that will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about how mayo is made.