Settling Wilmington's great mayo divide: Duke's vs. Hellmann's (2024)

July Fourth celebrations just call for mayonnaise -- tomato sandwiches, potato salad, slaw, hamburgers. But which mayonnaise?

For some, Duke's is the condiment of choice for chicken salads and pimento cheese, while for others Hellmann's is king for deviled eggs and hamburger buns.

Wilmington, not unlike other cities around the country, faces a great mayonnaise divide. In a city where thousands of residents are transplants, it seems everyone has brought their mayonnaise choice along with them.

Port City Foodies not only held a blind taste test in June to help settle this great mayonnaise divide, but invited chefs, television personalities and even the mayor to weigh in.

"Duke's is just Southern tradition; I can't really explain it," said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo. "I grew up with Duke's and was born and raised here."

He likes it on BLTs, burgers and even dips his french fries in it, which he admits is unhealthy but enjoyable nonetheless.

A blind tasting

It seems Duke's does have a stronghold on the city, but according to dozens of comments on the Port City Foodies Facebook page in posts about the mayonnaise divide, there are Hellmann's fans aplenty in the area. Some of them are actually Southern.

"Hellmann's and I'm a southerner," one reader commented.

"The only Duke this Carolina fan cheers for," another wrote.

In a blind taste test, readers were invited to sample not only Hellmann's and Duke's, but also Miracle Whip. As many have noted, yes, Miracle Whip is technically a salad dressing-mayo hybrid, but a third variable and wild card in the taste testing was necessary. Some people -- a small handful, at least -- do claim Miracle Whip as their preferred mayonnaise.

The results of the Foodies tasting were straight forward. Going into the taste test, the majority of tasters stated they preferred Duke's. Once the test results of the blind test were revealed, the majority selected Hellmann's as their favorite in the tasting.

Among the tasters were Chef Jessica Cabo and soux chef Jules DeBord of Blockade Runner's East Oceanfront Dining and Randy Aldridge of WWAY.

Cabo said she grew up using Hellmann's in New York, but she does use Duke's at the restaurant, as it is a local staple. She selected Hellmann's as her favorite in the test and correctly identified which mayos were which.

Aldridge, a Duke's fan, was distraught to learn he picked Hellmann's as his top choice.

"Somewhere my grandmother is rolling over," Aldridge said.

Those who picked Hellmann's as their top choice said it was the light and slightly lemony flavor of Hellmann's that put it just above Duke's, which many admitted tasted nearly the same. The 4 of 10 tasters who picked Duke's said it had less sugar and better flavor, but agreed the two rivals were very similar.

And there was one Duke's convert during the event.

Lynn Boerschel said being from Maryland she had an open mind and had never tried Duke's before. After the tasting, she said Duke's would be her new mayonnaise of choice.

Miracle Whip was universally despised by the tasters, who all ranked it dead last.

Mayo in restaurants

Restaurant owners and chefs around town were also quick to claim Duke's. James Smith of Fork 'N' Cork, Larry Casey of Casey's Buffet and chef Keith Rhodes of Catch all serve Duke's.

Smith said growing up he had Miracle Whip and never had real mayonnaise until his 20s.

"I realized then that Miracle Whip was horrible," he said. "In New Orleans, we had Blue Plate then moved up here and it was all about Duke's. They are all fairly similar, it's just a matter of regional desire."

Smith admits Hellmann's might be a little creamier straight out of the jar, but when spread on a sandwich like at Fork 'N' Cork, who will know the difference?

Rhodes, born and raised in Wilmington actually grew up with Hellmann's and loves the great flavor. But he thinks Hellmann's changed the recipe about 10 years ago and doesn't have the flavor profile it used to. Now, it's Duke's for Rhodes who uses it in Catch The Food Truck, Catch Restaurant and just life in general.

"It has that hint more of vinegar," Rhodes said.

Even celebrity chef Vivian Howard is on the Duke's train, now a spokeswoman in their commercials.

"It makes a tomato taste more like a tomato and bacon taste more like bacon," Howard says to the camera clad in a red apron. "It's smooth, creamy, has a lemony edge and not too sweet."

It's no surprise Larry Casey is also a Duke's fan, but he does have one secret that sheds light on the question, "so who does use Miracle Whip?"

Casey said he uses Duke's for everything, but during holidays he uses a 50/50 blend of Duke's and Miracle Whip for deviled eggs. The result, he said, is a whole new depth and complexity of flavor.

"I just hope no one takes my Southerner card," he said.

Reporter Ashley Morris can be reached at 910-343-2096 or Ashley.Morris@StarNewsOnline.com.

The history behind the mayos

Duke's Mayonnaise

Duke's was created by Mrs. Eugenia Duke at Duke's Sandwich Shop in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1917. It is the third largest brand in the U.S. behind Hellmann's and Kraft. Duke's is known for a tangy flavor, having more egg yolks and no added sugar.

Hellmann's Mayonnaise

Hellmann's, also going under the name Best Foods, was created by Richard Hellmann who immigrated from Prussia to New York City in 1904. He married Margaret Vossberg whose family owned a delicatessen. Later, Hellmann opened a delicatessen of his own in 1905 where he developed a ready-made mayonnaise, before opening a factory to produce it in 1913 under the name, "Hellmann's Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise."