Are mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard passé?

 

Remember when condiments, if you ever even used that word, meant mayonnaise, ketchup (not catsup, please!), and yellow mustard? For years that triumvirate was the American choice of American condiments. They sat in home refrigerators, and they sat on café tables in their containers. But in the last fifteen or twenty years, the American palate has become much more sophisticated and integrated new cuisines into our daily diet. Along with that come some condiments which at first confused me.

The other day I was reading an article about five tuna salads, one of which was made with kewpie mayonnaise instead of the American version we’re used to. (See “I am a Food Blog” miso tuna salad.) Invented in 1925 by a Japanese businessman who had just tasted mayonnaise, Kewpie has only recently found its way into use in our country. The basic difference: it is made using only egg yolks instead of the whole egg, which means it has a different texture and is more yellow in color.  It is praised for its “rich, bold taste” and umami, another term that’s sometimes hard for us traditional cooks to define.

Umami is the fifth taste, beyond sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It is best described as savory, but I still find that a difficult concept to wrap my mind around. When I think savory, I think anchovies or capers

Kewpie, which at first brought to mind Kewpie dolls, is available labeled as Kewpie mayonnaise in upscale or specialty stores (not my Central Market though) and often comes in a squeezable bottle. You can find it on Amazon.

And then there’s kimchi, which I confess I haven’t tried yet. Kimchi, of Korean origin, is basically fermented vegetables. Originally a side dish, it is often used as a condiment or dip. Basic ingredients are napa cabbage and Korean radish, but carrots, spring onions, and cucumber can be used too. The vegetables are seasoned with Korean chili powder, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and a Korean salted seafood called jeogal (a fish sauce or you can use anchovies). Kimchi has sweet, salty, and sour flavors. And umami—there’s that word again.

In Korean cultures, kimchi is served at every meal, including breakfast. It can be used in a basic stew but is also used in everything from fried rice and stir fry to sandwiches and noodles. You can even pickle eggs in kimchi. It is available commercially, especially in stores specializing in Asian food but also in upscale groceries (Central Market where I shop has thirteen varieties available, so it’s a matter of finding out which taste you like—and that requires experimenting).

You can easily make kimchi at home. Multiple recipes are available online, and it requires as few or as many ingredients as you want. You can experiment as you wish, adding vegetables, leaving out the fish for a vegetarian version. It does require time in the fridge for fermentation, but after that it will keep several months refrigerated.

And finally there is chimichurri. (The whole reason I got into this subject is that for a

long time I was uncertain about the difference between chimichurri and kimchi.) Chimichurri moves us to the other side of the planet—Argentina to be specific. It is an herb and vinegar sauce used on meat and fish and even some veggies (Jordan put it on broccoli the other night.) You can mix some mayo in and use it to dress potato salad or mix it with olive oil and use as a marinade for vegetables. Mix it with a bit of olive oil and brush on bread before grilling for an alternative to garlic bread. It will keep in the fridge for some time, improving in flavor though it may lose its bright green color.

We had marinated flank steak with chimichurri the other night. It was a recipe I’d apparently made before, because next to the chimichurri part, in Jordan’s handwriting, was the word “Love.” I am not fond of several meats if they don’t have sauce—flank steak is one. I need something to soften what I perceive as dryness and chewy texture. Chimichurri is perfect.

Again you can vary the herbs as you wish, but here’s the basic recipe I used:

Chimichurri

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup fresh cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

½ medium onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp each salt and pepper

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Throw it all in the food processor and process until smooth. Chill until serving time.

If you try kimchi, let me know about it. I’m curious but uncharacteristically timid.