aioli

Intermediate 🍳 Food / Culinary

Definition

Technically a garlic and olive oil emulsion, but now applied to any flavored mayonnaise to justify charging extra for fries. The Provençal preparation that traveled from Mediterranean purity to menu buzzword debasement.

Example Usage

The 'truffle aioli' is actually just mayo with truffle oil, but guests pay $3 more so we're not correcting anyone.

Origin

Provençal, from 'alh' (garlic) and 'òli' (oil)

Fun Fact

Traditional aioli contains no egg—just garlic, oil, and emulsification skills—but American versions are basically garlic mayo because actual aioli is too unstable for commercial use.

Source: Mediterranean culinary terminology

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