Easy Spanish Alioli Recipe: Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between an aioli and an alioli? ›

Both are used to describe a Mediterranean sauce or dip that originated in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, and across the border on the French Mediterranean coast. The term 'aioli' is more commonly used in French and English, while 'alioli' is also used in Spanish and Catalan.

The name alioli comes from the Catalan words for the two main ingredients all (garlic), i (and), and oli (oil). It is quick, simple, and very flavorful, so it is easy to understand why it is so popular in Spain. This recipe uses two egg yolks, which makes it bind easier.

Although aioli and mayonnaise are both creamy emulsions, aioli is made from garlic and olive oil while mayo is made from egg yolks and canola oil. The final result may look similar but the two sauces have distinctly different flavors.

What Is the Difference Between Aioli and Mayonnaise? Although both aioli and mayo are creamy, white emulsions made with egg, the two condiments have distinctly different flavors. That's because aioli is made with olive oil, while mayonnaise is made with a neutral oil.

I love aioli, of all types. Though making your own aioli (like mayonnaise) calls for raw egg yolks. Food safety in mind, I prefer to temper my eggs in a double boiler, much like one does when making hollandaise sauce. Alternatively, these days, you can purchase pasteurized eggs in most grocery stores.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether an aioli is healthier than its cousin mayonnaise. Mayo is essentially any neutral flavored oil, with egg yolk, vinegar and lemon juice, whereas an aioli begins with pounding garlic, which has many health benefits, with a mortar and pestle and using olive oil instead of canola.

A thick garlic sauce, aioli is a traditional condiment in the cuisine of Provence, France, and Catalonia, Spain. True aioli is an emulsion created with just garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This makes the common menu item, “garlic aioli,” rather redundant. In fact, the name aioli translates to "garlic oil."

Garlic aioli is made with just a few pantry-friendly ingredients that create an intensely savory swirl of flavor. Lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper mix with mayonnaise for a pleasantly sharp taste that you're sure to love.

Today, aioli (“EH-oh-lee”) popularly refers to any sort of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. Originating in the Mediterranean, it is often identical to mayo in color and texture.

Etymology. The word is a transparent compound of the words meaning "garlic" and "oil". The English spelling comes from the French aïoli, which itself comes from Occitan.

How long can you keep garlic aioli? ›

How to Store. Aioli will keep in the fridge for about 1-2 weeks in an airtight container. Don't leave it out at room temperature for longer than 1-2 hours.

The name 'aioli' itself is a compound of the words 'garlic and oil' in Catalan and Provencal languages. Aioli is characterised by its lightly spicy garlic flavour and yellowish colouring from the olive oil.

But, as they do, things change. Nowadays, the word aioli is pretty much synonymous with mayo, and is often just a simple mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade) that is flavored generously with garlic—a nod to its origins.

Making aioli is easy, and is arguably the greatest cold sauce of all time. It's nothing more than olive oil emulsified into freshly crushed garlic, seasoned simply with salt and lemon. This is pure, fiery, intense garlic flavor like you may have never tasted.

Try dipping your French fries in garlic aioli, just like they do in Belgium! Use aioli instead of store-bought mayonnaise to take your favorite tuna, chicken or pasta salad from basic to wow. You can even serve it alongside our mayo-less tuna and potato Salad, Italian potato salad, or Greek potato salad.

Why is it that we're cautioned not to eat raw egg, but it's perfectly fine eating aiolis like mayonnaise when the egg yolk they use is raw? Unless you are using pasteurized eggs, you are at risk for salmonella, eating raw eggs or uncooked products made with raw eggs.