Apparently, Japanese And American Kewpie Mayo Are Very Different
Kewpie, the Japanese mayonnaise brand that has achieved near-cultlike status in the U.S. over the past few years, is living a dual life as the U.S.-made version seems quite different than the kind that's imported from Japan. One TikToker did a blind(ish) taste test and found the American-made Kewpie to be lighter not only in color but in flavor as well. She describes the Japanese Kewpie as "pure joy," while the domestic version only rated a noncommittal "It's good."
Redditors have also noted several differences between the two types of Kewpie. According to one r/Cooking thread, Japanese Kewpie not only has a more vivid pinkish-orange hue but is also thicker, tangier, and more flavorful overall. One commenter suggests that the difference might be due to Japanese eggs being of better quality. Another adds that the color is likely because Japanese chickens are fed marigold petals, so they lay eggs with orangey yolks. A third person noted that the reason why the American mayonnaise is runnier is likely because it contains more water. Water comes in third on the ingredients list after oil and eggs. However, that spot is occupied by vinegar in the Japanese version.
Missing ingredient
Where water occurs on the list isn't the most significant difference between the Japanese and American Kewpie mayo ingredients. The Japanese mayonnaise is made with MSG (monosodium L-glutamate), which is a flavor enhancer that has a bad (if possibly undeserved) reputation in the U.S. since many people associate it with headaches, chest pains, and other ill effects. While MSG is not banned in this country, the makers of the American version dropped the ingredient in 2017 and chose to go with yeast extract as an umami booster instead.
There's yet another twist in this tale of two Kewpies! It seems that there may be yet a third version; This one is made for (or at least sold by) Costco. According to the Redditor who posted lists comparing all three versions, Costco Kewpie has water as the third ingredient, but it does list monosodium glutamate as a flavoring, not yeast extract. One person familiar with all three versions found that Costco's take on Kewpie "just doesn't have that great umami flavor, even with the msg added in there," but said it was superior to Kewpie's other U.S.-made mayo.