The Secret History of Mayonnaise: From Military Victory to Your Fridge

Family Tree Food Stories · Apr 9, 2026 · 35m · transcript

What nobody told you about mayonnaise: the wartime origin, the brand rivalry, and the Hellmann's love story you've held in your hands, and never knew about.

You've probably never thought twice about that jar of mayonnaise in your fridge. You open it, you use it, you put it back. But that jar has a story that you likely don’t know, one that starts with a military victory, and with a love story.

In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you inside the interesting stories and history of mayonnaise. From the French chef who accidentally created it after a…