Internet reopens age-old Miracle Whip vs. mayonnaise debate

© Photo: Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket (Getty Images) Kraft Miracle Whip on a store shelf, salad dressing bottles placed upside down in a row

This morning a trending topic on Twitter caught my eye. In between subjects of arguably greater import (plus all the sponsored slots that Netflix and HBO seem to have on retainer), one item in the list stood out: Miracle Whip. Was this nearly century-old product being discontinued? Did the folks at the top say something problematic? Turns out, it was none of the above. The internet has simply retreated back into one of its favorite unending debates: which is better, Miracle Whip or mayonnaise?

For those who weren’t aware that these two products are distinct (and the Twitter responses suggest that there are plenty such people), Miracle Whip is a mayonnaise alternative that contains less fat and more sugar. Its ingredients include water, soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, modified cornstarch, eggs, salt, spices, and a few other things. Your typical mayo contains a lot of these ingredients too, but has a higher concentration of egg yolk and doesn’t use corn syrup. Both of these products can add a welcome creaminess to whatever you’re serving, haters be damned—but Twitter has always been a home for uncompromising food opinions.

Some people decry Miracle Whip for being a more synthetic product, whereas others point out that it has a lower price point (a plus for anyone on a budget) and if you’re integrating it into something like a dip, you might not taste the difference at all. Still others celebrate Miracle Whip’s not-quite-mayo taste and insist it’s superior to the real deal, a line of argument that bears a strong resemblance to the classic Coke vs. Diet Coke debate. One Twitter user noted that they purchase mayonnaise for some recipes and Miracle Whip for others (“Miracle whip for peanut butter and banana sandwiches… Mayo for pickled jalapeno and lettuce sandwiches”). That’s not a bad idea at all.

Of course, seeing the hubbub, Miracle Whip strode into the discourse with understated aplomb:

Now we need to know where you, our readers, stand on Miracle Whip versus mayonnaise. It’s a matter of vital importance this Monday morning.