Jordan Moss/Peden+Monk
Here’s what we thought about Ayoh
In the least surprising development in food influencer history, cookbook author and YouTube star Molly Baz just launched her very own mayonnaise brand called Ayoh Foods. For anyone who’s familiar with Baz’s interest in caesar salads and brash flavors, it’s a move that makes total sense.
Ayoh just launched online this week with four flavors — original, hot giardinayo, dill pickle mayo, and dijonnayo — and we got our hands on all of them. Using our highly scientific testing method (dipping chicken nuggets into little gloops of mayo on a plate), I tried every single one of Baz’s new mayo options. Here’s how it went.
Amy McCarthy
First impressions
The bottles are cute! They’re top-down squeezy bottles with cheery, brightly colored logos. The color palette is very Molly Baz, as are the flavors on offer. There’s a little separation of the oil in the mayo, but it resolved with a quick shake. The bottle’s opening is a little wide, so it’s ideal for anyone who really likes a lot of mayo on their sandwich — expect big dollops, not neat little squiggles like from a bottle of Kewpie.
Original Mayo
I’m not sure exactly how this is “mayo with a POV,” but it is pretty solid mayonnaise. It’s a little bit thinner and less congealed than a brand like Hellmann’s or Duke’s, but nicely eggy like Kewpie. There’s also a slight — and pleasant — vinegary bite, which I’d expect from the assertive-flavor-obsessed Baz.
Hot Giardinayo
The most initially interesting of the bunch, the hot giardinayo flavor is orangey-red, and packed with pepper chunks. It’s a little spicier and less pickle-y than I expected, and consistency-wise, slightly thicker than the original mayo. Would be excellent on a cold-cut sandwich, but I don’t know what else I’d use it for.
Dill Pickle Mayo
Somehow, this mayo manages to finely walk the line between “dill” and “pickle.” It’s equal parts herby and vinegary, and tastes a lot like tartar sauce, minus the onion. I’m a little surprised by how fresh and bright it tastes, and while pickle enthusiasts might appreciate more pickle flavor, it seems like a really great choice for a fried fish sandwich. Or even just an easy way to make your weekday tuna salad lunch a little more interesting.
Dijonnayo
At first I was a little annoyed that dijonnaise was one of Baz’s choices — seems a little basic. But this spread is mixed with both cornichons and whole grain mustard, which makes it nicely punchy. There could be a little more dijon flavor, sure, and the cornichon bits could be more abundant, but it’s a pretty solid dijonnaise that also has the benefit of only dirtying one spoon.
The verdict
Overall, these are solid sandwich sauces. At $10 per bottle, I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to stock my pantry with classic Ayoh, but the flavored mayos are a fun little change-up if you’re stuck in a sandwich rut. The dill pickle and hot giardinayo stand out among the rest, if only because those are a little more labor-intensive to recreate in your own kitchen than simply stirring together some dijon and mayo.
