I confess that I only began to love mayonnaise when I became acquainted with Kewpie. There is no other mayonnaise that tastes as good as this Japanese pantry staple. So ubiquitous is the Kewpie squeeze bottle with its distinct red cap that it is even part of a toy for babies (of all the parts of this toy, the mayonnaise bottle is my baby's favorite).
As a huge Kewpie fan, I wished to visit the Kewpie Mayo Terrace, a free museum in one of Kewpie's old factories in Sengawa. Unfortunately, the Mayo Terrace has been closed to visitors due to the pandemic, but they offer live online tours on Zoom for free.
To join, simply go to their website and check their calendar for tour dates. You will be required to register your email address in order to receive the password protected Zoom link.
The tour is hosted by a Kewpie staff member who welcomed participants as they entered the Zoom meeting. Participants were encouraged to turn on their cameras, if possible. Another Kewpie staff member with a camera walked us through the Mayo Terrace so that we could view the exhibits.
The tour lasted 30 minutes. The host was very energetic and engaging and there were some opportunities for interaction. It was fun to learn more about mayonnaise in general, about its history in Japan and in the world, the Kewpie mayonnaise variants currently available in the market, and some trivia such as what the company does to the egg whites and egg shells after harvesting the egg yolks for mayonnaise production.
In the last few minutes of the tour, participants were introduced to simple recipes that use mayonnaise, including a dish that I never thought would be enhanced significantly by adding mayonnaise.
Unfortunately, the tour is only available in Japanese, but if you have a functional level of Japanese, it is pretty easy to understand and follow.
I cannot wait for the Mayo Terrace to open again to the public and buy Kewpie souvenirs at the shop, but in the meantime, I was enriched by this virtual tour.
