What does aioli taste like?
Aioli tastes like a garlicky, extra-rich mayonnaise: creamy and smooth with a sharp raw garlic bite, a little lemon and the fruity flavor of olive oil.
Aioli
garlicky, creamy mayo
Traditional aioli, from the Mediterranean coast of France and Spain, is garlic pounded with olive oil until it thickens, often with egg yolk. It's loud with raw garlic and tastes of good olive oil, which can be peppery and a touch bitter. In the US, though, 'aioli' on a menu usually just means flavored mayo: sriracha aioli, truffle aioli, chipotle aioli. That version is creamier and milder, closer to mayo than to the real thing. Either way, it's rich, smooth and made for dipping.
Where you’ll see it
With fries, on sandwiches and burgers, beside fried calamari and crab cakes, and in Provence with vegetables, fish and boiled eggs as le grand aioli. Expect flavors like sriracha, lemon or truffle.
Order it if you like dipping fries in mayo and could always use more garlic.
Quick questions
- Is aioli just mayo?
- Traditionally no: it's garlic emulsified with olive oil. In most US restaurants, though, it's mayo with garlic or another flavor mixed in.
- Does aioli have egg in it?
- Usually. Most aioli, and every mayo-based version, uses egg yolk, though strict Catalan allioli is just garlic and oil. Ask if you avoid egg.