May 17, 2022

Best.

My husband swears by “Hellmann’s”, or Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. I think I grew up with Kraft Salad Dressing, but once in a while Mom would drift away from the bargains aisle and buy us Hellman’s and we’d delight in its creamy texture when combined with peanut butter on a sandwich.

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise does not exist west of the Rockies, instead it’s called Best Foods. “Bring out the Hellmann’s and bring out the best” is “Bring out the Best Foods and bring out the best”. This is a result of two companies combining forces in the early 20th century. Urban legend states one of the recipes are slightly sweeter but I can’t taste the difference. My husband hasn’t complained so I doubt there’s much of a difference.

In a world where there’s a Circle K on every corner and a Walmart on the edge of every town and a *bertos Mexican Fast Food joint near every bar, it’s fun to think of a mayonnaise company that stays to its roots, and carries two different names depending on where you are in the United States.

Bring out the Best Foods and bring out the Best!