Origin debated — likely Mahon, Menorca (captured by French forces in 1756) or southern French Languedoc tradition; adopted into French haute cuisine and spread globally through the 19th century · Provenance 1000 — Technique Showcase
Neutral and rich with bright acid balance — flavour character is determined entirely by the quality of the oil, acid, and aromatics; emulsion stability determines texture quality
Adding oil too fast at the beginning, before sufficient emulsifier is present to coat the droplets — this is the most common cause of breaking Using cold oil directly from the refrigerator — cold oil is more viscous and breaks into larger, harder-to-emulsify droplets under mixing Exceeding the emulsifier capacity of the yolk by adding too much oil, resulting in a grainy, broken mass that cannot be incorporated Not adding all the acid at the beginning — adding vinegar or lemon juice at the end after the emulsion has formed can cause it to break Using light olive oil expecting a neutral result — even light olive oil has enough phenolic bitterness to produce unpleasant flavour
Neutral and rich with bright acid balance — flavour character is determined entirely by the quality of the oil, acid, and aromatics; emulsion stability determines texture quality
Adding oil too fast at the beginning, before sufficient emulsifier is present to coat the droplets — this is the most common cause of breaking Using cold oil directly from the refrigerator — cold oil is more viscous and breaks into larger, harder-to-emulsify droplets under mixing Exceeding the emulsifier capacity of the yolk by adding too much oil, resulting in a grainy, broken mass that cannot be incorporated Not adding all the acid at the beginning — adding vinegar or lemon juice at the end af
This is the professional-depth technique entry for Mayonnaise — Hand Method and Emulsion Science, including full quality hierarchy, species precision, and cross-cuisine parallels.
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