Kewpie (mayonnaise) facts for kids
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| Introduced | 1925 |
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Kewpie (pronounced "kyoo-pee") is a very popular Japanese brand of mayonnaise. It's also the name of the company that makes it. Kewpie is the top-selling mayonnaise in Japan and is also sold in many other countries around the world.
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The Story of Kewpie Mayonnaise
The company that makes Kewpie mayonnaise was started in 1919 by Toichiro Nakashima. He had spent three years in the United States, where he first learned about mayonnaise. He also saw the cute Kewpie doll, which later became the symbol for his company.
Toichiro Nakashima's business first sold canned salmon. Then, in 1925, they started making mayonnaise. Since then, Kewpie has been the most popular mayonnaise brand in Japan. The company is now called Kewpie Corp. During World War II, they stopped making mayonnaise because they couldn't get the ingredients. Production started again in 1948.
Toichiro Nakashima believed in always finding new ideas and making things better. He also thought businesses should help society. These ideas are still important to the company today.
In 1998, a businessman tried to say that Kewpie couldn't use the Kewpie doll image. But the company showed that they had been using the image for 73 years. The courts agreed with the mayonnaise company, and they were allowed to keep using their famous Kewpie doll.
In 2020, the company made about $5 billion in sales. Besides mayonnaise, Kewpie also makes things like cosmetics and medicines.
What Makes Kewpie Special?
Kewpie mayonnaise is made with apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and only egg yolks. This gives it a very creamy texture, different from many American mayonnaises that use whole eggs. It also contains vegetable oil, salt, spices, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
The Taste of Umami
Many people describe Kewpie's flavor as "irresistible" and full of umami. Umami is often called the "fifth taste" (besides sweet, sour, salty, and bitter). It's a savory, rich flavor that makes food taste even better. The MSG in Kewpie helps create this special umami taste.
Compared to other mayonnaises, Kewpie has a milder, creamier, and slightly fruity taste. The strong egg flavor comes from using only egg yolks, but it's not too strong. It doesn't have added sugar, so it's not as sweet as some other brands. Its flavor is often described as more "bold" or "assertive."
In 2017, a newspaper in Chicago did a blind taste test of 13 different mayonnaise brands. Kewpie was the clear winner! People said it smelled pleasantly eggy and had a creamy texture. They loved its slightly tangy, eggy flavor with a very strong umami taste.
How People Use Kewpie
Kewpie mayonnaise is used in many popular Japanese dishes:
- Tamago sando: An egg salad sandwich often sold in Japanese convenience stores.
- Potato salad
- Sushi
- Karaage: Lightly coated pieces of marinated meat, usually chicken.
- Takoyaki: Battered and cooked balls of minced octopus.
- As a Pizza topping
- Okonomiyaki: A savory pancake made with flour batter, shredded cabbage, and other ingredients.
- Spicy mayonnaise: Kewpie mixed with sriracha hot sauce.
Kewpie's Place in Culture
Kewpie mayonnaise is a big part of yōshoku, which is a style of Japanese cooking influenced by Western foods. Its packaging is often described as kawaii, meaning cute.
Kewpie is a "cult favorite" in Japan, meaning many people are extremely devoted to it. Some people are so obsessed with mayonnaise that there's even a Japanese word for them: mayora (マヨラー). This word means a person who is "addicted" to mayonnaise! The company even has a museum in Tokyo called Mayo Terrace, where you can learn all about mayonnaise.
Kewpie Around the World
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Kewpie has been selling its products in China since 1993. They have three factories there, which can make a huge amount of mayonnaise each year. Kewpie is a leading brand in many big cities in China. Southeast Asia is also a very important market for them.
The company started selling its products in the United States in the early 1990s. They even have a factory there that makes mayonnaise without MSG, along with other salad dressings and sauces. About 9% of the company's business in 2019 came from sales outside of Japan.
See also
