Know this: Japan loves mayonnaise.
In Japan, it’s slathered all sorts of eats, especially soul food like takoyaki and okonomiyaki
But the country’s love affair with mayo didn’t begin until the 20th century after the first domestic maker Kewpie launched its maiden made-in-Japan mayonnaise in 1925. Kewpie was founded by Toichiro Nakashima, who had gone abroad to study food production.
While in the United States, Nakashima discovered mayo, and borrowing an iconic bit of Americana, the Kewpie characters conceived by the American cartoonist Rose O’Neill, he set up his own food company when he returned home. The rest, as they say, is Japanese mayonnaise history.
Japanese mayonnaise, however, is not the same as its American counterpart. Via Pogogi, here’s a quick breakdown on how they are different:
Kewpie Mayonnaise is, once again, rolling out limited-edition mayonnaise cafes in Nagoya and Tokyo as it did last year.
【グルメ・スイーツ】【旅行・イベント】《～3/31までの期間限定！マヨラーは渋谷へ急ぐべし！「キユーピー マヨカフェ」》 https://t.co/3uWiK6msHS pic.twitter.com/ahFlGX18h2
— maQaron (@maqaron_jp) March 14, 2016
Check out photos from the previous mayo cafe.
Look how Kewpie’s iconic squeezable bottles dangle from giant broccoli!
【マヨカフェ限定OPEN】
3月1日はマヨネーズの日とかで、キユーピーが今月限定のマヨカフェをプロデュース！読んでたらマヨネーズの口になってきた〜https://t.co/q6WVfMzDQj
from フードコミュニティ pic.twitter.com/kJMBbIVAja
— VingleJapanese (@VingleJapanese) March 8, 2016
Nakashima had hoped that mayonnaise would help Japanese people eat more vegetables, which is why healthy food is served up at mayonnaise cafes.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709135159451197441
There are different kinds of mayo on hand, including olive, basil and tomato mayo.
マヨカフェ、可愛いかったな💓 pic.twitter.com/YW8Ehmf3HA
— マイコ (@maiko_desu) March 16, 2016
渋谷「マヨカフェ」
キユーピーとブロッコリーの木がお出迎え🌳
美味しいと噂のマヨネーズをget💕
限定メニューでお土産も頂きました✨#BROS1991 pic.twitter.com/M61OA04Hdc— PEACE3588🌸🍓🍒🎸🐒🐶🍣 (@tmk_kz) March 26, 2016
ゆかりさん、そらたさんと渋谷のマヨカフェ〜♡♡♡ pic.twitter.com/506yqLar16
— まみくだ (@mami4k10) March 15, 2016
マヨカフェなう。パラダイス！ pic.twitter.com/UIrDhlfpcu
— さすらいの鶏肉 (@marotarou) March 26, 2016
Here is a sneak peak at this year’s mayo cafes.
The mayonnaise cafes will only be open from March 1 to March 31 in Tokyo and from April 3 to April 30 in Nagoya. But if you miss them, fret not because Japan also has a mayonnaise museum
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