Kewpie brand, to be exact.

I've never thought about trying Japanese mayonnaise before but it seems everyone on the internet is talking about the stuff and now I want some.

Might be a good excuse to check out the big new Japanese grocery store I've been meaning to visit.

Why You Should Be Obsessed With Japan's Kewpie Mayo

I've tried it. I like it. But I use so little mayo that I never get around to actually buying it.

Japanese mayo is the best mayo there is. And yes, Kewpie is the best of the Japanese mayo brands.

Mr. SK makes a potato salad with Japanese mayo that just does not work with American mayo.

If you like tuna salad, you'll love it with Japanese mayo.

Even my mother decided a turkey sandwich is better with Japanese mayo.

If you like wasabi, or American horseradish, try mixing it with Japanese mayo, that is sooo yummy! Or use hot Chinese mustard instead of wasabi, also very yummy!

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Mr. SK makes a potato salad with Japanese mayo that just does not work with American mayo.

Do you have a recipe for that?

I’ll ask. It probably will require me to translate it but I’ll try to do that and post it this weekend.
If you like creamy, it’s pretty amazing!

Thanks!

quote:

If you like wasabi, or American horseradish, try mixing it with Japanese mayo, that is sooo yummy! Or use hot Chinese mustard instead of wasabi, also very yummy!

That sounds great. I'm not a huge mayo fan, but with wasabi I might become one.

Ok, Mr. SK told me his recipe and I wrote it up in English. One thing I didn't change is the teaspoon and tablespoon, the Japanese ones are slightly smaller than the American ones, but it should be ok.

Japanese Potato Salad (photo found online, but Mr. SK's looks a lot like this)


Potatoes - about 4 (500-600 grams)
Carrot - 50 grams (Mr. SK said "as much as you want)
Cucumber - 1 if it's large-ish

Vinegar - 1.5 teaspoons
Salad (?) Oil - 1 tablespoon (recipe calls for "salad oil" which could be any vegetable oil. Mr. SK uses canola and says he doesn't recommend olive oil for this)
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper - as you like
Kepie mayo (Mr. SK said the recipe calls for 4-5 tablespoons but he just does one squirt without measuring, resulting in a dollop maybe the size of a fist, you could start out small and add to taste)

1) Prepping the potatoes
Boil the potatoes until they're soft
Peel while still hot
Smush the potatoes in a large bowl
Mix in salt, pepper, vinegar

2) Prepping the carrots
Cut the carrots (slice/chunk them)
Boil water, when it comes to a boil, add salt (as you like)
Put the carrots into the boiling water until they're soft

3) Prepping the cucumbers
Chop/slice similar to the carrots (Mr SK cuts first in fourths and then slices)
Put the cut cucumbers on top of paper towel and gently squeeze to get rid of some of the water

4) Putting it all together
Mix the carrots and cucumbers in with the potatoes
Add mayo and mix

Mr. SK said that's the recipe but he mostly does it to taste.

He also reminded me that he makes American style cole slaw but with Kewpie mayo instead of American mayo.

Let us know if you try on of these and how you like it!

That looks nummy.

What kind of spuds does he use?

I may have all the ingredients except for the mayonnaise, but Mitsuwa is only 10 minutes away....

quote:

Mitsuwa

Oh Mitsuwa, we love you and miss you soooo!

Re what kind, Mr SK said "just regular potatoes, not the round ones" -- maybe they're russets or baking potato? Do we call anything a "german potato" in the US?

The ones I'm familiar with:

Russets (oblong shape, brown skin, usually used for baking. think fluffy baked potato),

Yukon gold (kind of all purpose),

Red (waxier and often used in American potato salad),

White (my grandmother used these for boiling - not as fluffy as russets and not as waxy as reds, and not quite like Yukons). These don't seem to be super-popular; I usually buy them at the Polish grocery store.

It's rice vinegar rather than regular white vinegar, yes?

I'm guessing the potatoes are either russets or Yukon gold.

And also, he said nope, he just uses regular white vinegar. Mirin would probably be too sweet?

Really, I think it's the Kewpie mayo, that's the secret. You put that on practically anything and it's fantastic.

Also, Mr. SK said "Mitsuwa... *sigh*"

So I bought some.

Kewpie Mayo is amazing! Much more flavor than regular commercial mayonnaise, more yolk, a bit of mustard in the finish. Not sweet, no HFCS. In fact the whole ingredients list is really clean, unlike the “Olive Oil Mayonnaise” I got at Trader Joe’s that has more water in it than olive oil (I’m not sure how they stabilize it) and two other oils as well - canola and soybean - and the contents of half a chemistry set. But I digress...

I’ll definitely be making the potato salad (elegantly simple!) and I’m guessing the potato to use will be a White Rose if I can find them. Yukons are pretty sweet and Russets are pretty soft.

Thanks!

Edit: They stabilize it with Polysorbate 60. Popular stuff with a sketchy safety profile and 0 flavor contribution. Kewpie doesn’t need it. Why does the Trader Joe’s (Kraft) need it? Could it be that PS 60 is cheaper than the real food ingredients found in the Kewpie?

I’ve never made potato salad. That looks amazing. I think this will be the ice breaker for me.