# Mayonnaise: Hellman’s vs. Duke’s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947 "2018-11-03T20:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/21 "2018-11-04T03:28:00Z")
I’ve never heard of Duke’s until this thread. There is now a jar in my Amazon cart. mmm ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/22 "2018-11-04T04:21:27Z")
For those who have never seen Duke’s in your store, it’s because it’s a regional brand localized to the South. Thank goodness Amazon allows those of you who aren’t blessed with it on your store shelves to obtain it anyway. 😃 As for why you would want to sweeten it, I’m not sure. But almost all store-bought mayo is sweetened with sugar. I know people who can’t stand a potato salad that doesn’t have that sweetness built into the salad. I’m generally the opposite, as I dislike sweet potato salad, and am not a real fan of sweet coleslaw, either. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/23 "2018-11-04T06:14:59Z")
I’m not a mayonnaise specialist; as long as it’s actual mayo and not Miracle Whip etc, I’ll be fine with it. As far as I know… Not a big user of mayonnaise. I certainly didn’t like the very sweet potato salads I’ve eaten, but I believe those had **extra** sugar added. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/24 "2018-11-04T12:22:52Z")
Will I be scorned if I admit I buy store-brand mayo? ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/25 "2018-11-04T14:25:13Z")
Blue Plate is the “real” mayo – it contains only egg yolks, not whole eggs, just like you (I?) make it at home. It’s only available in the southern states so I have friends or family who go to Florida in the winter bring me a couple of jars. Kewpie is another brand that uses only egg yolks. It’s from Japan and a bit hard to find but definitely different enough from Hellman’s to be worth looking for. I’ve found that not everyone likes the eggy taste of these brands but I sure do. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/26 "2018-11-04T14:41:05Z")
I wonder if there’s a sample pack of all these mayos ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/27 "2018-11-04T14:59:05Z")
If Duke’s came in small packets they could stock in the break room I’d try it. “Tangy” is not an attribute I want in mayonnaise. Miracle Whip is a plague upon the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/28 "2018-11-04T15:16:11Z")
To me Kewpie tastes richer and thicker. It’s good but a little goes a long way, at least for me. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/29 "2018-11-04T15:34:52Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > (As everyone knows, Hellman’s west of the Mississippi is Best Foods) > > ( I live well west of the Mississippi and we have Hellman’s in our grocery stores. A quick check shows that the Rockies, not the Mississippi is the dividing line. It also shows that by all rights Hellman’s ceased to exist in 1927. Best Foods (which was called Postum Foods at the time) bought the name from Richard Hellman that year. Best Foods now sells Best Foods mayonnaise labeled Hellman’s. Kind of like the faux Schwinn bikes you can buy at Wal-Mart now that are really made by Pacific Cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/30 "2018-11-04T15:42:54Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I picked up a jar of Duke’s in Cleveland (that bastion of Old Dixie), noting the vibrant yellow hue (extra egg yolks) and absence of added sugar. A yellow hue can be due to the mustard content. Have you tried making your own? Egg yolks, oil, and pepper, mustard, and garlic in quantities and potencies to taste. Different oils give different flavours, of course, and I try to stick to olive oil, but not extra virgin olive oil. English mustard vs French mustard is another differentiator, French mustard being milder and giving a more subtle taste. And it keeps for ages in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/31 "2018-11-04T15:55:17Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Will I be scorned if I admit I buy store-brand mayo? Scorned? No. But I’d politely encourage you to learn from my mistake. One of the few cases where the name brand is vastly superior to the store-brand (Kroger, in my case). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/32 "2018-11-04T17:23:03Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Scorned? No. But I’d politely encourage you to learn from my mistake. One of the few cases where the name brand is vastly superior to the store-brand (Kroger, in my case). I was tipped off to Costco’s Kirkland mayo by someone on this board, and I thought it was at least as good as Hellman’s. Only thing is, it’s a giant tub of mayo! I have at least four different mayos in the fridge now: Kewpie, Hellman’s, Kraft, and a Hellman’s branded for the Polish market (Hellman’s Majonez Babuni). Looks I’m out of the Kirkland. I like them all for different things. The Polish Hellman’s is the tangiest of the bunch. Seems to have more of a mustard component to it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/33 "2018-11-04T17:26:43Z")
I and just about everyone else have been spelling it wrong in this thread. It’s **Hellmann’s** , with two _N_s. > **[Home](https://www.hellmanns.com/us/en/home.html)** > > Welcome to Hellmann's! Explore our wide range of mayonnaises, dressings and spreads, find a new recipe, or learn about our story and values. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/34 "2018-11-04T19:15:46Z")
I don’t have strong opinions, but they’re strong enough that I only buy Duke’s. I like some sour in my sandwiches, but don’t much care for sugar in them, unless it’s coming from a tomato or some really good lettuce or the like. Or, okay, from some Sriracha. But not from the mayo. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/35 "2018-11-04T19:50:23Z")
Hmm never heard of Duke’s. Now I’m intrigued. Amazon has it for not too crazy of a price (currently $11.57 for 2 16 oz jars, Prime shipping). I’m tempted; that’s pricier than Hellmann’s but not so much I wouldn’t buy it. I’m a Hellmann’s girl, if we’re talking what I can buy local. I do keep Kewpie around, but I don’t even really consider it a one-to-one substitute for Hellmann’s. I use it for Asian/Japanese dishes, and the occasional sandwich that I want its particular tangy/umami bite. I’d never, for example, use Kewpie for a potato or macaroni salad. Edit: Oh man, the [Duke’s Website](https://www.dukesmayo.com) claims the local Walmart carries it. It’s not even a mile away, but in general I avoid the hell-hole that is Walmart. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/36 "2018-11-04T19:58:37Z")
In my view Hellmann’s has the perfect flavor balance for sandwiches that are garnished with lettuce and tomato, as mine usually are, which are often variants on a BLT. It also complements tuna salad sandwiches very well. To my mind it just makes the sandwich taste really good without actually adding noticeable flavor of its own, which makes it the perfect condiment. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/37 "2018-11-04T20:03:59Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!? 😃 Gird your loins and go to Walmart. It will be worth it. Duke’s is…well, Duke’s. To me it is the single best mayo on a BLT. Ditto deviled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/38 "2018-11-04T20:24:10Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > To me it is the single best mayo on a BLT. Ditto deviled eggs. Well, that sells me. Unfortunately, it’s past prime BLT season here, but I’ll try it with some Kumatoes. And I’ve been craving a good potato-with-egg salad. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/39 "2018-11-04T20:47:30Z")
Still Kraft, as I said the last time this was asked. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947/40 "2018-11-04T21:06:39Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Edit: Oh man, the [Duke’s Website](https://www.dukesmayo.com) claims the local Walmart carries it. It’s not even a mile away, but in general I avoid the hell-hole that is Walmart. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!? 😃 I just checked, my Walmart has it too. I could walk there in three minutes. I’ll stick with the jar in my Amazon cart, though. I despise Walmart, and it’s not like I need it STAT. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mayonnaise-hellman-s-vs-duke-s/823947.md?page=3)