Give Classic Macaroni Salad A Japanese Twist With One Tangy Ingredient

A bowl of classic macaroni salad might be considered an inherently American dish since it certainly makes its way to tables for holiday dinners and summer cookouts across the country. Still, there's no reason why you can't put a spin on it with an ingredient sourced from abroad. There are an array of ingredients to consider, of course, but a simple way to create a tangy twist is to use spoonfuls of Kewpie mayonnaise, a Japanese ingredient that's become quite popular here in the U.S. too.

There are many ways to spruce up the dish, like to add grilled shrimp to your macaroni salad, but the use of Kewpie mayo is rather easy and can be incorporated into any recipe for the classic side. The Japanese mayo will provide tanginess because it contains a blend of rice, red wine, apple cider, and distilled vinegars. It also has a thicker texture and savory flavor profile because it uses four egg yolks for every 500 grams, rather than whole eggs like typical U.S. forms of the condiment. To try this ingredient swap, you should be able to find Kewpie, especially at a local Asian market, but you can also try it with Tasting Table's copycat Kewpie mayo recipe.

If you want to make macaroni salad with Kewpie mayo that has even more Japanese influence, we've got a few ideas. A dash or two of soy sauce will add a touch of umami to contrast with the savory mayo. Or add more rice vinegar to complement the mayo's ingredients. You'll need some crunch to pair with the tender macaroni and creamy condiment, so consider Japanese cucumbers, daikon (which typically makes its way into coleslaw), carrots, green onion, or green peppers.

Of course, you don't have to reinvent macaroni salad to use Kewpie mayo in the dish. You can follow Tasting Table's creamy macaroni salad recipe, which calls for 1 cup of mayo with classic ingredients like Dijon mustard, celery, and red onion. We also think our Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe would benefit from spoonfuls of Kewpie because it has some of the ingredients previously mentioned, like apple cider vinegar, carrots, and celery. Try it with any recipe for macaroni or pasta salad — and you'll be tempted to ditch your other favorite mayo brands for Kewpie in future dishes.