Until now!
Sure, I tried the vegan substitutes on the market (hated them) and even made some versions, using tofu, that came close to the original. Still, they just didn't have that taste.
I was invited to try Just Mayo.
It comes in a glass jar with a simple, brown label. The list of ingredients is relatively short and each item is recognizable:
Note that the ingredients are Non-GMO and Organic (yay). They are also vegan, gluten-free, and contain nothing artificial. It is distributed by Hampton Creek Foods, Inc., from San Francisco, CA.
The product looks like Mayo, with a nice creamy consistency. But how does it taste?
It is FABULOUS and tastes just like "real" mayonnaise. It is delicious!!
I tried it on a veggie sandwich, mixed it with chick peas to create a "mock" tuna salad, put some on steamed veggies, and used it in a potato salad. We enjoyed a bit on a baked potato and even tried it as a dip for chips. I wanted to know how it would perform in a variety of uses, and it did well. It held it's consistency at room temperature and when used in a hot dish, it slowly melted leaving a beautiful shine to the food.
Curious as to how the calories stacked up against the real thing, I browsed grocery store shelves and found that, at 90 calories per tablespoon, it is comparable to the original, egg version.
If you love(d) mayonnaise, you'll love Just Mayo.
Where can you buy it? Currently, it can be found at Whole Foods markets.
If you'd like to know more about how and why this product was developed, check out this 7-minute clip of the popular program, Bizarre Foods. After watching the video, I felt that this company is not only concerned about the environment and the plight of factory-farmed animals, but is ethical. Why? Because they bring viewers into the lab and actually show how the product is made. This "nothing to hide" attitude gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
COMING SOON: Hampton Creek Foods will be unveiling their egg-free cookie dough in March. I got a chance to sample some of it and it is delicious both raw and baked. This summer, they will be adding a new product to their line, "Just Scramble", which can be used used in omelets, quiches, scrambles, etc. I'm sure that it, too, will be a fabulous alternative to eggs.
Connect with Hampton Creek Foods on Twitter and Facebook.
Sneak Peek: Next week's posts include Change The World Wednesday and the results of February's survey. See you then!
I received samples of Hampton Creek Foods' "Just Mayo" and "Cookie Dough" in order to write this review. I received no other compensation. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and reflect my honest opinion of the products reviewed.