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Illustration by Flore Deman
This editorially independent podcast has been supported by VISITFLANDERS as part of the “Food Group” series of stories. Read more.
Mayonnaise is known all around the world; a thick, creamy sauce used to dress sandwiches, burgers, and salads. But few nations have taken it to their hearts in the same way as the Belgians. The relationship between Belgians and their mayonnaise is tied up in their fanatical “frituur” culture and in a law which has made Belgian mayonnaise special. But in the face of complex commercial challenges and a generational change in eating habits, can the Belgians preserve their extraordinary mayonnaise heritage?
We speak with Arthus de Boisies of Natura Mayonnaise, French Youtuber Alex Aïnouz of French Guy Cooking, Philip Buisseret of Culinaria and the spokesperson for the sauce industry in Belgium, and the family that run the Blauwe Frituur in Kortrijk.
Despite the fact that it’s produced globally, few other countries around the world are as closely associated with mayonnaise as Belgium. Belgian mayonnaise has traditionally been richer, more full-textured, and more intensely flavoured than mayonnaise in other countries—a qualitative element enshrined in law in the form of decrees signed by the King of Belgium. But another of the reasons mayonnaise is so popular is because of Belgium’s frituur culture.
In this podcast, we go deep into Belgian mayonnaise: What is it? How is it made? Why is it special? What part does it play in the lives of Belgians? And what’s the future for Belgium’s mayonnaise heritage?
Sit back, listen, and enjoy the story of Belgian mayonnaise.
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