The Role of Egg Yolk in Mayonnaise & Margarine

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the role of egg yolk in mayonnaise and margarine, focusing on its function as an emulsifying agent and the implications of altering its quantity or substituting it with other emulsifiers like glyceryl monostearate (GMS). The scope includes culinary applications and the chemistry of emulsions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that egg yolk is essential for emulsifying mayonnaise, and omitting it results in a vinaigrette, while reducing it may affect stability and ease of preparation.
  • One participant explains that egg yolk stabilizes the emulsion in mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce through lecithin.
  • There is a question about the feasibility of using egg yolk instead of GMS in margarine, with some suggesting that cost considerations may play a role.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that using egg yolk in margarine would alter its flavor profile, making it taste more like mayonnaise than butter.
  • Concerns are raised about the perception of margarine as a cheaper and potentially less natural alternative to butter.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the use of egg yolk in margarine and its implications for flavor and cost, indicating that there is no consensus on this topic.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the stability of emulsions and the role of different emulsifiers, but do not resolve the complexities of these interactions or the specific conditions under which they apply.

CuriousSam
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What is the role of egg yolk in mayonniase?
What happens to the emulsion when the egg yolk was reduced by 50% or omitted? Explain why?



Egg yolk is the emulsifying agent. Without it mayonnaise is basically a vinaigrette. If you omit egg yolk entirely your mayonnaise will not emulsify (thicken), if you reduce it by half, it will still work, but may not be as stable, or as easy to make.

There an intriguing question bugging me.
Why can't we use use egg yolk instead of GMS( glyceryl monostearate) in margarine.
I mean GMS is artificial emulsifier so it much be the same as egg yolk ? or egg yolk cannot
, too oily ??
 
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Here's a better explanation

In response to your questions, after seeing several cooking shows lately where people were creating an emulsion by whisking oil into vinegar or other liquid, I decided to look up the roles of egg yolk and oil in mayonaise since the acid and the oil by itself create an emulsion.

What the egg yolk does is stabilize the emulsion.

Both mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce are oil-in-water emulsions that are stabilized with egg yolk lecithin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsion
 
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yup...eggs are good.
 
CuriousSam said:
Why can't we use use egg yolk instead of GMS( glyceryl monostearate) in margarine.

Most likely because margarine is expected to be cheap :smile:
 
Borek said:
Most likely because margarine is expected to be cheap :smile:

And fake. :biggrin: I'm not even sure if margarine is perishable, or just has to be refrigerated to keep from melting. :rolleyes:

Oh, and if you made your margarine with egg yolks, it would probably taste more like mayonnaise than butter.
 
Moonbear said:
Oh, and if you made your margarine with egg yolks, it would probably taste more like mayonnaise than butter.

And then I'm pretty sure it would stop being margarine altogether. :smile:
 

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