Kewpie (mayonnaise)

File:Toichiro Nakajima.jpg

Shokuhin Kogyo Co. Ltd. (食品工業株式会社) was founded in Nakano, Tokyo in 1919 by Toichiro Nakashima. He had previously worked in the United States for three years as an intern for the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, where he first encountered mayonnaise and the Kewpie doll that became his emblem.{{cite news | last =Stevens | first =Ashlie D. | title =Why chefs are reaching for Japanese mayo (and you should be, too):"The acid is a bit higher, it's a little sweeter and the umami content is a little stronger, as well" | newspaper =Salon| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =February 28, 2021 | url =https://www.salon.com/2021/02/28/why-chefs-are-reaching-for-japanese-mayo-and-you-should-be-too/| accessdate =June 4, 2021 }} Originally, his business distributed canned salmon. Mayonnaise production began in 1925,{{cite news | last =Peterson | first =Lucas Kwan | title =Is this the world's best mayonnaise?| newspaper =Los Angeles Times | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = October 9, 2020| url =https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2020-10-09/people-love-kewpie-mayonnaise| accessdate =June 4, 2021 }} and it has been the best-selling brand of mayonnaise in Japan ever since.{{cite book | last = Hara| first =Luiz | authorlink = | title =The Japanese Larder: Bringing Japanese Ingredients Into Your Everyday Cooking| publisher =White Lion Publishing| series = | volume = | edition = | date =2018 | location = | pages =106 | language = | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=z_RyDwAAQBAJ&dq=As+for+the+shop-bought+variety,+Kewpie+Mayonnaise+has+been+the+most+popular+brand+in&pg=PA106 | doi = | id = | isbn =9781911127628| quote=}} The company is now called the Kewpie Corporation. The company stopped production of mayonnaise during World War II because of supply shortages and resumed production in 1948.

Nakashima's businesses are based on "innovation, consistent improvement, and building cooperative frameworks, while fulfilling social responsibilities that ring true even in today's society", according to a Japanese academic journal.{{cite journal |last1=Shimazu |first1=Atsuko |date=2014 |title= The moral management ideals of the foundation entrepreneur : the founder of Kewpie Mayonnaise, Toichiro Nakajima is made into an example|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jabes/21/0/21_KJ00009297181/_article/-char/en|journal= Journal of Japan Society of Business Ethics|volume= 21|issue= |pages= 209–220|doi=|access-date= June 5, 2021}}

In 1998, the company was sued for US$7 million for trademark infringement by a Japanese businessman who had obtained the rights to the Kewpie doll in Japan. The company defended itself, saying that it had a trademark in Japan going back 73 years, and that the Kewpie character was in the public domain.{{cite news | last =Dawson | first =Chester | title =Japanese Co. Fights To Use Kewpie | newspaper = | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =June 17, 1998 | url =https://apnews.com/article/da891e49ff18b8c4da95267d6922c9b2| accessdate = June 5, 2021}} The courts sided with the mayonnaise manufacturer.

In 2020, the company had sales of US$5 billion. The company also manufactures cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.{{cite news | last =Corn | first =Elaine | title =World Eats: Kewpie remains the mayonnaise people love to squeeze| newspaper =Sacramento Bee| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =July 17, 2015 | url =https://www.sacbee.com/food-drink/article27432460.html | accessdate =June 5, 2021 }} Amane Nakashima is the current chairman of Kewpie Corp., and is also president of the affiliated Nakashimato Co., a food distribution company.{{cite web | url =https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/article/about/notable-alumni/alumni-profile/47252/a-grateful-leader-gives-back/| title =A Grateful Leader Gives Back: Amane Nakashima, MBA '89 | last = | first = | date =December 13, 2017 | website =SC Johnson College of Business | publisher = Cornell University| access-date =June 5, 2021 | quote = }}

Kewpie is made of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and egg yolks, resulting in a "more custardy consistency" than typical American mayonnaises, many of which are made out of whole eggs.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} It also contains vegetable oil, monosodium glutamate, salt and spices.{{cite news | last =Kramer | first =Jillian | title =Why Are Chefs Obsessed with This One Japanese Mayo?: It has something to do with MSG. | newspaper =Food & Wine| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =January 30, 2019 | url =https://www.foodandwine.com/news/why-chefs-love-kewpie-mayo| accessdate =June 4, 2021 }}

A food writer with the Sacramento Bee wrote that "Kewpie's irresistible flavor is different than other mayonnaises. After sweet, sour, salty and bitter, it is imbued with umami". The umami flavor component is the result of the monosodium glutamate. Comparing Kewpie to American mayonnaise, a food writer at the Los Angeles Times described the flavor: "The initial taste is mellower, creamier, even slightly fruity. The egginess is certainly stronger because of the yolk content, but it isn't overpowering. There's no added sugar, so it doesn't have that cloying sweetness of a Miracle Whip." Its flavor is described as more "assertive" than common American brands. Mari Katsumura of the Michelin-starred restaurant Yugen in Chicago compared Kewpie to U.S. market leader Hellmann's, concluding, "The acid is a bit higher, it's a little sweeter and the umami content is a little stronger, as well".

In 2017, the Chicago Tribune conducted a blind taste test of 13 brands of mayonnaise sold in the United States. Kewpie was the "clear winner", described as "way ahead of the pack". According to the newspaper, "The aroma was pleasantly eggy, the texture creamy. The eggy flavor was slightly tangy, with what one taster described as a 'very pronounced' umami element."{{cite news | last =Daley | first = Bill| title =13 mayonnaise brands ranked | newspaper =Chicago Tribune | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =May 12, 2017 | url =https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/craving/ct-mayonnaise-tasting-gallery-food-0517-20170511-photogallery.html?_gl=1*1mc3tqt*_ga*b0xGUlh4NVd3cWdhVGExN3Itc0Npdk9yVy0zc3EwQlg1em8zTld1Qlo2TnYydW1KTEN2WjhjYnBEQVZKOGp5NA..

| accessdate =June 5, 2021 }}

• Tamago sando, an egg salad sandwich widely sold in convenience stores in Japan{{cite news | last =Cook | first =Alison | title =Alison Cook's Curbside Chronicles: The egg-salad throwdown and I | newspaper =Houston Chronicle | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =February 10, 2021 | url =https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/dining/alison-cook-s-curbside-chronicles-the-15936860 | accessdate = June 5, 2021}}{{cite news | last =Rao | first =Tejal | title =How to Make the Egg Salad Sandwich That Drew Eyes on Instagram: The recipe and story behind the sandwich from Konbi in Los Angeles, which found itself starring in countless posts. | newspaper = New York Times| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =January 28, 2019 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/dining/konbi-egg-salad-sandwich-instagram.html | accessdate =June 5, 2021 }}{{cite news | last =Byck | first =Daniella | title =Two Former Himitsu Chefs Are Now Selling Japanese-Style Sandos: Hello Sando is popping up at Tiger Fork with sandwiches inspired by Japan's convenience stores. | newspaper =Washingtonian| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =September 21, 2020 | url =https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/09/21/two-former-himitsu-chefs-are-now-selling-japanese-style-sandos/ | accessdate =June 5, 2021 }}
• Potato salad{{cite news | last = Asbrink| first =Hana | title =Japanese Potato Salad Is the Only Side You Need for Labor Day: Great on its own, TBH.| newspaper = Chowhound| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = August 31, 2020| url =https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/231147/best-japanese-potato-salad/ | accessdate =June 9, 2020 }}
• Sushi{{cite book | last1 =Luber| first1 =Marc |last2 =Cohen | first2 =Brett |authorlink = | title = Stuff Every Sushi Lover Should Know| publisher =Quirk Books| series = | volume = | edition = | date =2019 | location = | pages =113 | language = | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=5paMDwAAQBAJ&dq=kewpie+sushi&pg=PA113| doi = | id = | isbn =9781683691594 | quote=}}
• Karaage, lightly coated deep-fried pieces of marinated meat, usually chicken
• Takoyaki, battered and cooked balls of minced octopus
• Pizza topping
• Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake made of a flour batter, shredded cabbage and a variety of other ingredients{{cite news | last =Itoh | first = Makiko| title =Why not just add a dollop of mayonnaise? | newspaper = Japan Times| location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = March 22, 2013| url =https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/22/food/why-not-just-add-a-dollop-of-mayonnaise/#.V0x5E5F96VM | accessdate =June 5, 2021}}
• Spicy mayonnaise, Kewpie blended with sriracha

File:Kewpie 100 years event in Roppongi Hills.jpg

Kewpie fits into yōshoku (洋食 western food) – a style of Western-influenced cooking popular in Japan. The packaging is described as kawaii or cute. Kewpie is described as a "cult favorite" in Japan.{{cite news | last =Thompson | first =Kat | title =Why You Should Be Obsessed With Japan's Kewpie Mayo: The cult-favorite Japanese mayo is a favorite among chefs for a reason. | newspaper =Thrillist | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =October 22, 2020 | url =https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/what-is-kewpie-mayo-japanese-mayonnaise| accessdate = June 9, 2021}} According to the Los Angeles Times, "It has transcended the plane of mere human consumption to become a cultural touchstone — a passion that can border on obsession." There is a Japanese word マヨラー (mayora) which means a person addicted to mayonnaise.{{cite news | last = | first = | title =Put it on Everything! A Peek at the Japanese Love Affair With Mayonnaise | newspaper =Grape Japan | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =June 23, 2016 | url =https://grapee.jp/en/65482 | accessdate =June 11, 2021 }} The company operates a museum in Tokyo called Mayo Terrace.{{cite web | url =https://www.japan-experience.com/city-tokyo/10-free-museums-in-tokyo | title =Discover Art And Culture, Or Learn More About Japanese Society With This Selection Of 10 Free-To-Visit Museums Located In Tokyo. | last = | first = | date = | website =Japan Experience| publisher = | access-date =June 9, 2021 | quote =In a country where putting mayonnaise on pizza is the norm, it was a given that there would be a museum in honor of Japan's favorite brand of mayonnaise.}}

File:Beijing Kewpie Corporation (20220418133319).jpg, Huairou District]]

Kewpie has sold its products in China since 1993, and operates three factories in China, located in Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. These plants can produce 72,000 tons of mayonnaise each year, and Kewpie is the dominant brand in several of China's largest cities. Southeast Asia is also a significant market. The company has sold its products in the United States since the early 1990s.{{cite news | last1 =Hemmi | first1 = Junya | last2 =Furusawa | first2 =Ken | title =Kewpie to feed growing Chinese appetite with extra mayo factory: Japanese household name seeks higher global sales like peers Ajinomoto and Kikkoman | newspaper =Nikkei Asia | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =December 23, 2020 | url =https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Food-Beverage/Kewpie-to-feed-growing-Chinese-appetite-with-extra-mayo-factory | accessdate =June 4, 2021 }} It has a factory there that produces mayonnaise without monosodium glutamate, as well as other salad dressing and flavored sauces. Overseas sales accounted for about 9% of the company's business in 2019.

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• List of mayonnaises

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Category:Mayonnaise

Category:Food manufacturers based in Tokyo

Category:1919 establishments in Japan

Category:Condiment companies of Japan