Want to elevate a recipe? Just add Kewpie
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How do you add body to a soup? Elevate your lunchtime tuna sandwich? Create the dreamiest deviled eggs? Kewpie mayonnaise is the answer.
It’s the Japanese mayonnaise that comes in the white squeeze bottle with a red top and a cherubic mascot. Fans have long admired the Japanese mayonnaise brand for its ability to blast whatever it touches with an extra boost of umami.
“It’s really creamy with a consistency that’s different from most other mayonnaise,” says Jessie YuChen, who developed the recipes for the new cookbook “For the Love of Kewpie.” “It only uses yolks instead of whole eggs, so it’s extra rich, and the tangy flavor works really well with a lot of savory and even sweet recipes.”
YuChen and author Elyse Inamine spoke with both past and current Kewpie employees to offer a full history of the brand, complete with the mayonnaise origin story and how it earned a cult following in both Japan and the United States.
“I was surprised and also delighted by the story of it,” says Inamine. “In the book, we have these sort of by-the-decades Kewpie moments, we talk about how they got this bottle shape and when it was first brought to America.”
The book is required reading for anyone who loves the mayonnaise, full of fun Kewpie factoids about the bottles, its founder and the evolution of Kewpie over the years. Did you know that Kewpie had a radio show? Or that the company visits schools to talk to kids about how to make mayonnaise?
YuChen consulted a Kewpie employee-produced cookbook to better understand how the mayonnaise could be applied to both sweet and savory recipes. They developed 55 recipes that include everything from chocolate cake to pimento cheese dip.
“We really tried to capture how versatile it is in terms of technique and cuisine,” says YuChen. “It’s like adding a pinch of salt to your baked goods. The creaminess and richness really shows in the recipes, it’s just a matter of getting the right ratio.”
In the book, Kewpie is used to tenderize and marinate steak, meatballs and burger patties. It helps brown and crisp tofu and creates the perfect golden crust on a grilled cheese. Kewpie jump-starts the emulsification process in salad dressings and carbonara.
“We also wanted to capture how Kewpie has earned a cult following and the viral TikTok trends that use the mayonnaise,” says YuChen. “That’s how a lot of people in America have learned about the condiment.”
It was the TikTok trend of adding Kewpie mayonnaise to instant ramen that inspired YuChen’s recipe for Instantly Creamy Ramen. You take your favorite instant ramen, add Kewpie mayonnaise, an egg, fresh garlic and your favorite garnishes. And YuChen includes instructions for how to make the perfect jammy egg.
It’s a recipe that transforms the ramen broth into something rich, creamy and indulgent. And the entire process takes about 15 minutes.
“To be able to add a tablespoon of Kewpie to make that happen is kind of like a miracle,” says YuChen. “It’s magic.”
You can find the recipe for the Instantly Creamy Ramen below, along with a handful of other dishes made even better with Kewpie mayonnaise.
“For the Love of Kewpie” is available online at your favorite bookstore. I got mine (and nearly every other cookbook in my kitchen) from Now Serving in Chinatown.
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Instantly creamy ramen
Instantly Creamy Ramen is one of the quickest, easiest recipes in the “For The Love of Kewpie” cookbook, and the perfect example of how a little bit of Kewpie can enhance any dish. A tablespoon of Kewpie mayonnaise and a few extra garnishes turn a bowl of instant noodles into a hearty, satisfying dinner.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 15 minutes. Serves 1.
Smashed potato salad
Former cooking editor Genevieve Ko shares a recipe for a cool and creamy potato salad. What sets Ko’s salad apart is the addition of quick-pickled cucumber and either homemade mayonnaise or Kewpie.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 4.
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DIY Sushi Hand Rolls
Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock offers a comprehensive guide to making sushi hand rolls at home. Use sashimi-grade fish, readily available at Japanese markets around Los Angeles. Make the sushi rice, gather your favorite toppings, and don’t forget the spicy mayo. Hallock uses Kewpie mayonnaise to create the perfect spicy mayo condiment for any hand roll.
Get the recipe.
Serves 4 to 6.
Alyse Whitney’s Spicy California Roll Guacamole
Writer Alyse Whitney turned the popular spicy California roll sushi filling into a dip. She combines imitation crab, Kewpie mayonnaise and Sriracha, then layers the mixture over guacamole with plenty of fried shallots for crunch. It’s featured in her cookbook “Big Dip Energy: 88 Parties in a Bowl for Snacking, Dinner, Dessert and Beyond!”
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 45 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.
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