Japan Loves Kewpie Mayo So Much They Themed Cafes Around It

Photo: Kewpie

Japan has a HUGE obsession with mayonnaise, especially when it comes to Kewpie, their signature mayo that’s beloved by all of Japan.

In fact, this mayo is so popular that the company is now opening up pop-up cafes as a tribute to the thick, tasty condiment.

Kewpie announced that they will be opening up “mayonnaise cafes” in both Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan with dishes dedicated to the celebration of Kewpie mayo. The Tokyo cafe will be open for the entirety of March, and Nagoya will have it’s own cafe for the whole month of April.

The dishes include mayo-marinated chicken, omelets, sandwiches, and salads that all contain either flavored or the original Kewpie mayonnaise products.

It definitely sounds strange that a condiment like mayonnaise would do so well in Japan. However, Kewpie is a brand that’s also enjoyed by chefs around the world, including Momofuku’s David Chang. The main reasons they love the Kewpie brand? It’s actually made with just egg yolks, versus the whole eggs that are often used in American-made mayo, and is infused with a hit of MSG to give it a powerful umami flavor.

While MSG automatically gets people worried, it’s a compound that naturally forms in a ton of different food products and is safe to consume at low levels, which is how MSG is utilized in this mayo to give it an addictive flavor. It’s gotten chefs — and all of Japan — hooked, to say the least.

If you’re a huge fan of mayo and Kewpie, you might want to book yourself a flight to Japan over the next couple of months to partake in this unique celebration.