It’s hard to imagine a Southern picnic without this creamy condimentmayonnaise.
While it’s hard to imagine aSouthern picnicwithout mayonnaise, the creamy condiment originated in Europe.
The Beginnings of Mayonnaise
Its exact origin story is a bit hazy.
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By the late 19th century, home cooks followed in the footsteps of that anonymous French or Spanish chef.
The Mayonnaise Market Grows
Hellmann’s was not the only commercial mayonnaise on the market.
In fact, out in California, Best Foods had a popular mayonnaise.
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However, Hellmann’s reigned supreme west of the Rocky Mountains because it was first and arguably the best.
In 1927, Postum Cereal Company (which became General Foods) bought Hellmann’s company.
By 1932, the same company owned Best Foods and Hellmann’s.
Because Hellmann’s had such a devoted following, the owners decided to keep both brand names.
Thetwo brandsaccount for approximately 45 percent of all bottled mayonnaise sold in the U.S.
The company has changed hands several times, now owned by Unilever, which bought it in the 2000s.
